SPACE CENTER October 6, 2000 Roundup VOL. 39, NO. 20 L YNDON B. JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TEXAS Inspection2000 features NASA technology Why Inspection? available for real-world applications pening the door to NASA research and development so that the American economy and rom spacesuits to firesuits – 300 degrees for currently used suits. O marketplace can take full advantage of NASA technology can be It will be double sealed, exposing no skin its resources, and turn it into improved F applied to almost any areas and providing protection against industry to help improve existing hazardous materials. The suit also will efficiency, jobs, technology and a products, materials or processes. offer greater impact protection. stronger America is what That’s the thinking behind The design is still evolving. The suit Inspection2000 is all about. Inspection, JSC’s annual open- ultimately could have an integrated modern Each day, tremendous work is done door event for industry, helmet with duplex radio, infrared imaging at NASA field centers, from missile researchers, scientists and to search for fire victims, biodata and research and defense systems to businesspeople, which will be held temperature sensors, and readouts on the improvements in the aviation system November 1, 2 and 3. status of its life support system. and development of the safest vehicle To conquer and expand the Dr. Kumar Krishen, chief technologist in ever, the space shuttle. But it is not frontier of space, NASA must the Technology Transfer and Commercial- enough to just do these things. continuously develop new ization Office, Tico Foley, an aerospace Most of us are well aware of the technologies and overcome extreme engineer in the Habitability and great strides made at NASA any given challenges. This leads to Environmental Factors Office day, and the challenges we must breakthroughs in almost every field, of JSC’s Office of overcome to reach those successes. from food and clothing to computer Bioastronautics and But to get the absolute most value from systems and communications. Yet, Astromaterials, and our efforts we have to share those many of these solutions remain firefighters have advancements and we have to untapped for problems on Earth. identified about 40 communicate them. However, through Inspection, potential areas for high- Inspection is the venue to do just JSC is able to initiate partnerships tech improvements. that. Inspection makes NASA with industries and people who One is the technology available to those might have never considered cooling solving problems in our nation’s NASA as a counterpart before. commercial marketplace. In “We are trying to reach more of NASA JSC Photo s99-11669 turn, it affords the NASA team the non-aerospace-related markets,” Above: NASA spacesuit tech- explains Inspection2000 Chairperson nology is helping to improve with an opportunity to investig- Charlene Gilbert. “There are many the efficiency and perfor- ate better approaches to our mance of this firefighter suit, own challenges. Through markets that have little exposure to space worn by JSC Engineer Dom Inspection, we can draw from research and on the surface, they don’t see Del Rosso. any connection with NASA to the the expertise and experience of challenges they face. But once they have Right: Aerospace Engineer the broader community as well an opportunity to talk with NASA Tico Foley demonstrates as identify areas where the connection of the Super collaborative work would be engineers, dig beneath the surface, and Critical Air Mobility Pack define the technical obstacles, they (SCAMP) to a traditional mutually advantageous. frequently find that there are many firefighter’s mask. Inspection is JSC’s similarities between the two.” opportunity to interface with the With that in mind, the center will be mobility and better commercial counterparts in a open for three days for visitors from a communications. wide range of markets. Every wide range of sectors in the business, JSC, working with the year, engineers, scientists, science and academic backgrounds to Houston Fire Department, academics, researchers, doctors peruse the near-three hundred exhibits KSC, Aerospace Design and and hundreds of other profes- showcasing NASA technology and talk Development, the Department sionals are invited to see our with JSC professionals. More than 2,500 of Defense, and Lockheed center’s developing technology guests are expected to attend the event, Martin, is developing a that incorporate revolutionary now in its fourth year. prototype suit that could processes to work. Even fields that initially seem worlds double the time a firefighter can battle a capability. “With protection from both JSC has emphasized commercial away from space-related technology may blaze before having to rest and cool off. internal and external heat sources, the outreach and technology transfer as find some parallel challenges. Such was The advanced firefighter’s suit will use firefighter will be able to extend the time “our commitment to develop new ways the case with spacesuit technology that is a number of state-of-the-art NASA available to perform the tasks of saving of doing business.” We have been now being used for firefighter suits. technologies. Among them is active lives and property,” Foley said. I cooling, protecting the firefighter from challenged to make significant changes in the way we do business – to be Hot news for firefighters metabolic heat trapped in the suit. To register for Inspection2000 or The technology that protects space- more efficient and deliver more benefits Combined with new fabrics on the outer for additional information visit the Web walking astronauts may soon be available garment, the liquid cooling inner garment to the American people for less. Each site at http://inspection.jsc.nasa.gov/, to firefighters on the ground through the can allow more lengthy exposure to of us can do our part by participating in development of an advanced suit that temperatures of up to 500 degrees call (281) 244-1316 or E-mail events such as Inspection. I offers greater protection, endurance, Fahrenheit, compared to a maximum of [email protected]. JSC staff and Genesis payload Clinic announces site poised for readies for mission new approach Inspection. to collect solar dust. to onsite care. Page 2 Page 3 Page 7 2 October 6, 2000 SPACE CENTER Roundup Now showing… Getting around Inspection2000 t Inspection2000 the exhibits will be organized in six A centralized building locations, along with exhibits at Ellington Field and Sonny Carter Training Facility (SCTF). Also, new this year are guided bus tours ensuring guests have the opportunity to visit JSC’s other unique facilities and labs. Each of the tours will run three times daily each day and will last approximately 90 minutes each. All bus tours will Here’s a preview begin and end at Bldg. 9. Gilruth 207 Recreation Visitors can participate in three Center Registration and different guided tours. of exhibits and Exit Check-in Exit to Space Center Blvd to NASA Road 1 North Bound 220 via Space Center Blvd Human Factors Facilities buildings open to ❖ B15 – Graphics Research and Avenue B Analysis Facility and Inspection2000 49 Water Buses to Anthropometry and Biomechanics Tower 37 Ellington Field and Sonny Carter Facility visitors... Training Facility ❖ B17 – Food Systems Engineering 36 9 N Facility On-site Bus Route ❖ B29 – BioPlex Building 2 31 9 S Listen to daily presentations in the 32 Bus Stops Testing Facilities Tour Teague Auditorium featuring keynote ❖ B14 – Radio Frequency Test Avenue C Street 4th speakers such as Astronauts John Young, 10 First Aid Facilities (anechoic and EMI Dave Williams and Franklin Chang-Díaz. chambers) Additional exhibits will also be on 47 11 8 ❖ Food Service B49 – Vibration and Acoustic display here. and Gift Shop Test Facility 48 29 ❖ B353 – Energy Systems Test Area 46 30 7 Building 5 Information (Resource Conversion Test See how some of JSC’s cutting-edge Facility) training technologies, such as robotics and 45 12 4N 5 Guest Parking virtual reality, are helping to prepare crews Unique Facilities Tour 4S ❖ for the challenges of space flight. Also Buildings Open B16 – SES for Inspection 2000 ❖ B32 – Vacuum Chamber and inside are the Shuttle Mission Simulator 3 16 TransHab and Space Station Training Facility. 17 1 ❖ B31 – Lunar Sample Laboratory 14 2 Building 9N 1515 Other guided tours (non-bus) are Building 9N showcases the shuttle and 13 available in or near specific build- International Space Station mockups and ings, such as: trainers. Visitors can also see other JSC Avenue D ❖ B9NE – Robotics Laboratories robotics and virtual reality technologies 5th Street 2nd Street 2nd (twice a day); being developed to assist flight crew with ❖ B10 – Manufacturing Technolo- space flight tasks. Guests can see human Rocket Street 3rd gies (walking tour from 9S); tissue growing in a bioreactor’s rotating Park NASA Road 1 ❖ B30 – Original Mission Control vessel, which mimics zero gravity. Or see Center, Telescience Support the revolutionary new drug delivery Center and new Mission Control system known as microencapsulation. 110 Security Exit 1 Road NASA to Center (every 20 minutes); In this building, visitors can also see Saturn Lane ❖ B30 – Emergency Operations exhibits from other centers and field Center and Weather Center (every offices such as White Sands Test Entrance 20 min); and Facility’s Micrometeoroid and Orbital Main ❖ SCTF – Magnetoplasma Propul- Debris research exhibit. Entrance NASA technologies sion Research Lab (every half Visitors can “refuel” in the Paris Café To I-45 hour). and then embark on guided tours to other on exhibit: JSC sites or catch a bus that will take Building 220 Propulsion, energy systems, Visitors can visit the following sites The X-38 Crew Return Vehicle, them to Sonny Carter Training Facility human factors, product design at their own pace. and Ellington Field. designed by JSC engineers, incorporates and analysis, materials, ❖ B5 – Shuttle Mission Simulator, A reception will be held here each some of the most advanced concepts in flight vehicle aerodynamics.