April 2015 Second MUTT Makes First Flight by Peter W
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Volume 57 Number 2 April 2015 Second MUTT makes first flight By Peter W. Merlin The latest in a long series of NASA Armstrong Public Affairs experimental research aircraft, or Researchers at NASA Armstrong X-planes, the X-56A was built successfully conducted the agency’s by Lockheed Martin’s Advanced first flight of the X-56A Multi-Utility Development Projects division Technology Testbed (MUTT) No. 2 in Palmdale, California, under a on April 9. contract from the U.S. Air Force The 20-minute flight marked Research Laboratory (AFRL), the beginning of a research effort Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, designed to yield significant Ohio. Powered by twin 85-pound- advances in aeroservoelastic thrust JetCat P-400 micro jet engines, technology using a low-cost, the airplane has a semi-flying-wing modular, remotely piloted aerial configuration with winglets at the vehicle. Aeroservoelasticity involves tips. Lockheed Martin constructed the interaction of an airplane’s two airframe center-bodies along automatic flight controls with the with several sets of wings because response of non-rigid structures to plans called for tests involving both aerodynamic forces. The X-56A is stiff and flexible airfoils. being flown in support of NASA’s ED15-0104-60 NASA/Ken Ulbrich The maiden flight of the first Advanced Air Transport Technology airframe – nicknamed Fido – in (AATT) project’s Higher Aspect NASA researchers are using the X-56A, a low-cost, modular, remotely piloted June 2013, by Lockheed Martin Ratio Wing subproject, Performance aerial vehicle, to explore the behavior of lightweight, flexible aircraft structures. and AFRL initiated testing to Adaptive Aeroelastic Wing element. explore technologies for active This was the first of eight planned X-56A attain an altitude of 4,000 AATT associate project manager flutter suppression and gust- Stiff Wing Controller Development feet above sea level and cleared for for integrated testing declared, envelope clearance flights. Successful flight at up to 70 knots calibrated “The flight went nearly exactly as X-56A, page 12 efforts by the test team saw the airspeed. Gary S. Martin, rehearsed in the simulator.” Rocket validates sensor package By Leslie Williams Xombie suborbital technology Xombie. The rocket ascended to said Nathan O’Konek, Masten’s NASA Armstrong acting news chief demonstration rocket during a about 111 meters or nearly 365 feet, director of business operations. Carnegie Mellon University NASA-sponsored launch and traversed over a simulated hexagon “Our lander test vehicles are able (CMU) students developed a sensor landing at the Mojave Air and pit then returned to its pad. The to simulate landing trajectories package to analyze large pits in the Space Port in Mojave, California. total flight time was 64 seconds. that a lander on the moon would surface of the moon or Mars that The computer vision “We are working with Carnegie actually follow; we descend at rates could lead to openings of caves. technology sensor package was Mellon students who are developing similar to what a lunar lander would The package was launched recently mounted on top of Masten’s a technology to build maps and 3-D on Masten Space Systems’ XA-0.1B vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing models of the features of the moon,” Xombie, page 10 www.nasa.gov/ X-Press April 2015 L.A. County Air Show rocks ED15-0087-09 NASA/Ken Ulbrich Martel Martinez greets visitors to the NASA exhibit. ED15-0087-070 NASA/Ken Ulbrich ED15-0087-177 NASA/Ken Ulbrich Attendees had a chance to see what they The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds amazed crowds with acrobatics and formation flying. About 60 staff and volunteers from would look like in a NASA flight suit. NASA Armstrong participated in the NASA exhibit. More than 130,000 people attended the two-day event. ED15-0087-071 NASA/Ken Ulbrich The NASA Armstrong F/A-18 was popular at the 2015 L.A. County Air Show. ED15-0087-062 NASA/Ken Ulbrich Above, flight test engineer Michelle Haupt signs an autograph. At right, a group of kids take a picture with a high altitude pressure suit. At far right, NASA Armstrong historian Christian Gelzer talks to people about remotely piloted aircraft at the center. ED15-0087-059 NASA/Ken Ulbrich ED15-0087-011 NASA/Ken Ulbrich X-Press April 2015 Shin recognizes teams News By Jay Levine X-Press editor Jaiwon Shin, Aeronautics at NASA Research Mission Directorate associate administrator, recently presented an ARMD Associate Mercury Administrator’s award and announced an honorable mention mission for two of NASA Armstrong’s teams. In the category of Program and a success Mission Support, the group award After extraordinary science was presented to three NASA findings and technological Armstrong members of the agency- innovations, a NASA spacecraft wide Environmentally Responsible launched in 2004 to study Aviation, or ERA, Project Control Mercury will impact the planet’s Team including Jennifer Hinckley, surface, most likely on April 30, Rebecca Miani and Adam Rough. after it runs out of propellant. The team was nominated for NASA’s Mercury Surface, Space process controls and rigor that Environment, Geochemistry, ED14-0369-01 NASA/Ken Ulbrich incorporated lessons learned and Ranging (MESSENGER) from Phase I work and creating ARMD Associate Administrator Jaiwon Shin, right, and NASA Armstrong spacecraft will impact the planet a suite of processes for tackling Director David McBride, left, present an award to Rebecca Miani, second at more than 8,750 miles per eight integrated technology from left and Jennifer Hinckley, second from right. hour (3.91 kilometers per demonstrations in Phase II. Those second) on the side of the planet areas included risk and change guideline document to assist project from NASA Armstrong included: facing away from Earth. management, full cost integrated managers with a template when Derek Abramson, Brian Beaton, On April 14, mission operators master schedule, key decision point writing a risk management plan. Andrew D. Blua, Albion H. Bowers, in mission control at the Johns reviews, milestone completion Rough was the lead scheduler of Alan Brown (retired), Candance Hopkins University Applied documentation, integrated baseline the ACTE project portion of the Clements, Brent R. Cobleigh, Physics Laboratory (APL) in reviews and interim tabletop full cost integrated master schedule. Greg Coggins, Frank W. Cutler, Laurel, Maryland, completed walkthroughs. One process control He helped develop the baseline Christian Gelzer, Beth Hagenauer, a series of orbit correction feature called a “progress indicator” project schedule and modified the Michelle Haupt, Darlene Homiak, maneuvers designed to delay has since been replicated in all schedule to keep crucial milestones Mary Ann Harness, Chris Jennison, the spacecraft’s impact into the ARMD programs. Due to these on track. Rough also developed Robert “Red” Jensen, Tom P. Jones, surface of Mercury. practices, ERA completed all Phase briefing materials for key decision David Nils Larson, Jim “Clue” Although Mercury is one I demonstrations and moved with points and integrated baseline Less, Jay Levine, Kim L. Lewis-Bias of Earth’s nearest planetary confidence to Phase II work. reviews. and Steve L. Lighthill. In addition, neighbors, little was known Miani is the resource analyst Honorable mention for teams in the team included Lori A. Losey, about the planet prior to the for most of the ARMD projects at the same category of Program and Terri L. Lyon, Cam Martin, David MESSENGER mission. NASA Armstrong. The award was Mission Support was the Alternative D. McBride, Timothy R. Moes, The spacecraft traveled more specifically for her work on the Fuel Effects on Contrails andChris Naftel (retired), Jonathan B. than six and a half years before Active Compliant Control Trailing Cruise Emissions II, or ACCESS Neuhaus, Steve S. Parcel, Joseph it was inserted into orbit around Edge, or ACTE, project that is part II, NASA Social Team lead by Kate L. Piotrowski, Hernan D. Posada, Mercury on March 18, 2011. The of the ERA program. Squires. The advanced planningHerman “Chico” Rijfkogel, James mission was to orbit the planet Hinckley is the ACTE risk team from Armstrong included G. Sokolik, Brian D. Soukup, and collect data for a year. The manager who assessed, managed Gary S. Martin, Peter W. Merlin, Edmund K. Swan, Thomas P. spacecraft’s healthy instruments, and tracked all programmatic Kevin J. Rohrer and Squires. Key Tschida and John G. Zellmer. remaining fuel, and new questions risks and monitored project risk advanced planning members also The NASA ACCESS II team raised by early findings resulted progress. She facilitated meetings, included Ruben Del Rosario from members also included NASA in two operations extensions. documented programmatic and NASA Glenn Research Center Glenn’s Frances T. Jennings, One key science finding in 2012 technical risks, managed mitigation in Cleveland, Bruce E. Anderson NASA Langley’s Katherine A. provided compelling support efforts and developed briefing from the NASA Langley Research Barnstorff, Richard H. Moore, for the hypothesis that Mercury materials for key decision points Center in Hampton, Virginia, and Gregory L. Slover and Richard J. harbors abundant frozen water and integrated baseline reviews. Karen Rugg from ARMD at NASA Yasky, and from ARMD at NASA and other volatile materials in In the past Hinckley developed a Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Headquarters, Jim Banke and its permanently shadowed polar NASA Armstrong risk management The NASA ACCESS II team Garvey Mcintosh. craters. X-Press April 2015 McMurtry fondly remembered By Jay Levine McMurtry asked former NASA X-Press editor astronaut and then Dryden pilot Thomas C. McMurtry was Gordon Fullerton to fulfill Brockett’s respected by peers, admired for his request. A flight with Gordo was piloting skills and appreciated for enough to change Brockett’s mind. his mentoring by many who knew “By the end of the flight I realized him.