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UPDATE #106 - January 24, 1999 PART 1: Back from JPL and all went well BACK FROM JPL AND ALL WENT WELL
What a delight to work with professionals who take pride in doing a job with energy and panache! I traveled with Kate Weisberg, the project manager of NASA Quest's Learning Technologies Channel and producer of this exciting series of WebCasts starring a cast of JPL scientists, engineers, technicians and administrators from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission project. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory provided a wonderful setup in their Design Hub, and there seemed to be nothing we proposed that they could not accommodate. A terrific panel of experts hand-picked by Annie Richardson was interviewed by the host, Charlie White, and asked questions sent by an enthusiastic audience and fielded by Mike Dickerson. Herb Marcucilli traveled from the Alabama offices of Live on the Net to work his magic on encoding it for viewing on the Internet, while, behind the scenes at the Hub, Eric Cassell made sure that video sequences happened when they should. What a team! I hope you were there and were able to participate. This was just the first of three WebCasts that we will be broadcasting from JPL covering the payload scheduled to fly on STS-99. See the schedule for the complete series at: http://quest.nasa.gov/ltc/jpl/srtm.html Some pictures I snapped during the WebCast will be going online there soon. If the Shuttle Endeavour launches on schedule, our next WebCast will be February 9. Don't miss out! Linda Conrad lindac@quest.nasa.gov UPCOMING EVENTS:
Special Features: February is Black History Month. To celebrate, NASA Quest will host a series of QuestChats and forums with African American scientists and engineers who contribute their work in support of NASA's mission and goals. The schedule which may be added to over time can be found at http://quest.nasa.gov/qchats/special/mlk00/ Additionally, the week of February 22 through 25 is National Engineers' Week. We will host a series of QuestChats with NASA engineers. See http://quest.nasa.gov/qchats/special/eweek00/ ->Wednesday, February 9: 10am- Noon PST (1-3pm EST, 6-8pm GMT) Segment 2 of the SRTM WebCasts: Mission Status during 11-day orbit. Ask questions of Payloads experts during the mission of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). Join us from: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/ltc/jpl/srtm.html ->Thursday, February 10, 2000; 10-11am PST (1- 2pm EST, 6- 7pm GMT) Webcast from the International Space Station Mock-Up and Training Facility at Johnson Space Center. Join us from: http://quest.nasa.gov /ltc/sto/tours/index99.html ->Tuesday, February 15; 9-10 am PST (12-1 pm EST; 5-6pm. GMT) QuestChat with Diane McMahon Diane participates in all stages of International Space Station (ISS) payload processing. She is responsible for getting payloads stowed on the shuttle and then transferred and integrated onto the ISS for science experiments and research work. See Diane's profile at: http://quest.nasa.gov/space/team/mcmahon.html Join the chat from: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/common/events.cgi?prj_sto ->Wednesday, February 16; 9-10 am PST (12-1pm EST; 5-6pm. GMT) Dionne Jackson is responsible for identifying and testing and metal alloys that are used as flight hardware and in supporting equipment and structures. See Diane's profile at: http://quest.nasa.gov/space/team/jackson.html Join the chat from: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/common/events.cgi?prj_sto Pre-registration is required ->Wednesday, Feb. 16; 10-11:30am PST (1-2:30pm EST, 6-7:30pm GMT) Webcast: The long trip to the Launch Pad: Part 6 of the Landing to Launch Series Mike and Brandt show you up close the Mobile Launch Platform, the Crawler and the Crawlerway - describing that 3 1/2 mile pilgrimage. Details of the webcast including lesson plans are available at: http://quest.nasa.gov/space/events/ksc99/feb ->Thursday, February17; 11:30 am -12:30 PM (2:30pm EST; 7:30pm. GMT) Black History Month QuestChat with Janis Davis-Street Janis is part of a team whose job is determining the nutritional requirements for astronauts as they venture into space. See Janis' profile at: http://quest.nasa.gov/space/team/davis.html Join the chat from: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/common/events.cgi?prj_sto Pre-registration is required ->Tues., Feb. 22; 10:30-11:30am PST (1:30-2:30pm EST, 6:30- 7pm GMT) National Engineers' Week QuestChat with Rick Hashimoto Rick is responsible for ensuring that any changes in Space Shuttle design or processes or procedures do not cause problems. See Rick's profile at: http://quest.nasa.gov/space/team/hashimoto.html Join the chat from: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/common/events.cgi?prj_sto Pre-registration is required ->Wednesday, February 23; 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Pacific National Engineers' Week QuestChat with Steven Daugherty Steven is responsible for ensuring that primary systems are designed and work together properly for successful operation of the International Space Station (ISS). See Rick's profile at: http://quest.nasa.gov/space/team/daugherty.html Join the chat from: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/common/events.cgi?prj_sto Pre-registration is required ->Thursday, February 24; 10-11 am PST (1-2 pm EST; 6-7pm. GMT) Black History Month QuestChat with Jennifer Murray Jennifer has been involved in applying ultraviolet light to oxygen and hydrogen sensors. The sensors detect gas leaks or flames from pipelines on the space shuttle launch pads. See Jennifer's profile at: http://quest.nasa.gov/space/team/murray.html Join the chat from: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/common/events.cgi?prj_sto Pre-registration is required Friday, February 25; 9-10am PST (12-1pm EST; 5-6pm. GMT) National Engineers' Week QuestChat with Keith Zimmerman Keith is responsible for educating the Russians about NASA's systems and operations on the ISS, and learning and educating people in the U.S. about the Russians' support of the space station. See Keith's profile at: http://quest.nasa.gov/space/team/zimmerman.html Join the chat from: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/common/events.cgi?prj_sto Pre-registration is required THIS WEEK'S PUZZLE CHALLENGE Question #8 will be online tomorrow: A lot of effort is put into the improvement of the shuttle processing flow. The fact-finding tests of the object pictured are part of NASA's effort to make operations safer and less strenuous. Name the object in the picture. To what part of the shuttle processing flow is it hoping to improve? Hint: It isn't related to Sojourner! Puzzle is based on a java applet, so there might be a delay in loading. [Editor's note: Andy is a computer engineer who develops automated systems for the ground support equipment at KSC. Some of these systems focus on data acquisition; they use sensors to take measurements and display them to an operator. Other systems are automated machines (robots) that move to perform tasks.] The Circularity Measurement Tool (CMT-2000) http://quest.nasa.gov/space/team/bradley.html Interviewer: Brandt Secosh Jan 21, 2000 Happy New Year to all of you! The year 2000 has brought me to an exciting point of an eight-month project that I have been working on called the Circularity Measurement Tool (CMT). I will be at the Vehicle Assembly building this afternoon testing and validating this project. The CMT works along with the SSET project that I developed not long ago. As you recall from my previous journal, when the four Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) segments are "stacked" they need to be the same shape (circular) as much as possible. In reality, we never have a perfect circle when stacking segments, so we need to change the shape of one of the booster segments to match the other before we stack them. This is critical to protect the massive O-ring that is between each segment. Our current system that we use is very time consuming and expensive in comparison to the CMT. The CMT is a lightweight device that that uses trigonometry to determine the actual shape of the SRB segment. How does it work? The CMT is used to measure 36 different locations around the SRB segments to be joined (every 10 degrees). Each one of these measured profiles (essentially being and arc) is used to complete the data for the circle. Using trigonometry, we can determine the actual shape of each arc and collectively for the circle. When you look at the CMT, points A & B establish a baseline for the measurement. A laser is located at point C. The dashed blue line represents the arc of the booster segment. When the laser is activated to take the measurement, it is actually measuring the distance from that baseline. By comparing each of these 36 measurements, we can determine the actual shape of the circle. We start by taking these measurements from the top of the segment that is on the ground and the bottom of the segment that is hanging in the air inside the VAB. If the circularities do not match, we can change the loads of how they are suspended - thereby changing the shape. Once the shape is changed, the segment is a given time to settle and then they are joined. The current method requires four people to measure the segment and gather the information. Then they analyze the information and decide what must be done to conform the load before the mate process. SSET and the CMT will reduce the time used to complete this operation by up to 18 hours. That doesn't sound like much, but when you multiply that time by the thirty to fifty people involved, it equates to a BIG saving. The CMT has a powerful computer inside that is about the size of a credit card. One person will hold the CMT against the segment, and the first thing that will happen is they will level the device. Andy demonstrates this in the photograph at left in the robotics Lab. The operator receives a graphic display of when the device is level. Once level is attained, a trigger is depressed on the handle and the laser measures the distance from the midpoint of the device to the segment wall. The measurement is taken twice to ensure that they match before it is considered to be valid. The information is then stored in the computer and processed to determine the circularity. In the next photograph you can see the digital display that the operator will view. The operators are very eager to receive this improved equipment. The current system weighs about 15 pounds. That doesn't sound like much weight; however, when you hold 15 pounds for any length of time it begins to feel much heavier! The CMT weighs about seven pounds. It is much more efficient and easier to use. All of the components to build the device are "off the shelf" with the exception of one circuitboard. A total of four of these will be constructed and will allow operators to measure the circularity of each segment in about ten minutes! Andy will be at the Vehicle Assembly building today testing the CMT so let's all wish him well with the project. Andy showed a lot of enthusiasm about some of the potential projects that he will become involved in after this project is complete. He briefly explained some of these and would like to share these potential projects with you. First is the Payload Ground Handling Mechanism (PGYM) project. Each launch pad has a white room that is attached to the rotating service structure (RSS) at the launch pad. The RSS, as its name implies, rotates until it joins up to the orbiter. Part of this room will attach directly to the payload bay of the orbiter. Once attached, the doors open and the technicians can then work in a "clean-room" environment. A huge four-story "robot" then drives out to pick up vertical payloads, which are contained in a canister, brings it to the payload bay and allows the technicians to install the payload in the bay. Second is the MAGLEV (Magnetic Levitation) project. The concept of this project could result in launching future orbiters at a cost of $100.00 per payload pound! That is incredibly inexpensive compared to today's payload cost. So how will MAGLEV accomplish this? The future vehicle will be levitated on a magnetic field and accelerated to approximately 600 mph before launch. Much of the energy during current launches is used simply to accelerate the shuttle from 0 mph to a velocity that will allow us to establish orbit. This is accomplished directly against the force of gravity. With MAGLEV the vehicle will already be moving at 600 mph (momentum) prior to vertical flight! I love this one! Mars is a goal that Andy believes is very close in our future. Along with that, Andy believes there will be a revolution in robotics and software. In today's robot, the robot does basically what the operator tells it to do for each step. The robot doesn't really think for itself or solve problems. Future robots will use technology known as Neural Networking and Genetic Networking that will allow them to solve problems and find solutions based on their own experience! Andy is very excited about our future not only for himself, but also for students like yourselves that will have the opportunities to help develop that future! STATUS OF ORBITER PROCESSING - PREPARING FOR STS-99
Typically this area is devoted to processing of the Columbia Orbiter. At
this time Columbia is in California being refurbished, so we will continue
to use this area to update you on the mission in focus, in this case,
STS-99
Shuttle managers assembled at KSC last Tuesday for the STS-99 Flight
Readiness Review. After the meeting, managers announced that Space Shuttle
Endeavour will launch no earlier than Jan. 31, pending resolution of an
ongoing orbiter tile evaluation. The evaluation has been under way since
orbiter Discovery lost a thermal tile from the right inboard elevon prior
to the STS-103 landing in December. Astronaut and orbiter safety were not
compromised.
At Launch Pad 39A, preparations for Endeavour's upcoming launch continue
on schedule. Orbiter aft compartment close-outs are going well, and the
aft
doors are slated for installation on Wednesday. Shuttle ordnance
installation begins today and flight crew equipment stowage continues
through next week.
Engineering evaluation of Endeavour's thermal tiles continues. The
analysis will determine if any additional tile work is required on
Endeavour prior to launch, and, if so, what schedule impacts may exist. To
date, only two tiles have been removed from the orbiter's nose and will be
replaced in parallel with standard work.
Engineers are also considering a strengthening modification for four
camera mounts located in the orbiter's payload bay. If the modifications
are needed, the payload bay doors must be opened to allow work on the
forward and aft bulkhead cameras early next week with no impact to the
current schedule.
Processing Milestones:
Ordnance installation complete . . . . . . . . .(Jan. 24)
Orbiter aft comparment close-outs . . . . . . (Jan. 26)
Flight crew equipment stowage complete . . . . (Jan. 26)
Flight crew arrives at KSC. . . . . . . .(Jan.27 at noon)
Launch Countdown begins . . . . . . (Jan. 28 at 5:30p.m.)
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