Archive for November, 2010
marshmallow science
by Tony on Nov.07, 2010, under outreach ideas
Very cool way to teach about energy waves. Using the steps on this page you can even calculate the speed of light using just about any microwave and a package of marshmallows.
Friday launch attempt of STS-133 scrubbed due to hydrogen leak.
by Tony on Nov.05, 2010, under outreach ideas
During the replenish phase of tanking the external fuel tank in preparation for today’s planned launch of STS-133, crews detected a hydrogen leak at the ground umbilical carrier plate (GUCP). The GUCP vents away gaseous hydrogen so that it can be safely burned off away from the launch pad. This problem is reminiscent of STS-127 which was scrubbed twice due to elevated hydrogen levels detected around the GUCP. After the second scrub, launch was postponed 25 days while the GUCP was redesigned and tested.
The launch has been postponed until at least Monday. A news conference at 1pm (shown on NASA TV of course) should have more information.
Epoxi mission encounter with comet Hartley 2 to be shown live Nov 3.
by Tony on Nov.03, 2010, under astronomy, manned spaceflight, nasa
Live coverage from JPL in Pasedena, CA starts at 9:30 a.m. EDT. It will be available online on NASA Television’s Media Channel. A news briefing is planned for 4 p.m. EDT.
Activities will also be carried live on one of JPL’s Ustream channels at: http://www.ustream.tv/user/NASAJPL2 .
More information on the EPOXI mission is available here: http://www.nasa.gov/epoxi and http://epoxi.umd.edu .
STS-133 delayed, again
by Tony on Nov.03, 2010, under outreach ideas
3 delays so far, all due to technical issues. First 2 were issues around the orbital maneuvering system. The latest is due to an electrical problem in the main engines. Current schedule has launch moved to Thursday Nov 4 at 3:29 pm EDT. That’s looking a bit optismitic with the forecast showing rain, wind, and low clouds. Forecast as of this morning has only a 30% of favorable conditions for launch. Details on the criteria NASA uses in determine if the weather is good enough to allow for launch see the Space Shuttle Weather Launch Commit Criteria, which has been updated over the years but most influenced by the loss of Challenger during STS-51L in unusually cold weather.
The forecast issued by the Air Force used by NASA in planning is available here . It is updated each morning around 7:15 am starting 5 days ahead of the first scheduled launch.
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NASA Image of the Day
The Twin Rectangular Jet model, installed on the Nozzle Acoustic Test Rig in the Aeroacoustic Propulsion Laboratory at NASA's Glenn Research Center being tested.
The Twin Rectangular Jet model, installed on the Nozzle Acoustic Test Rig in the Aeroacoustic Propulsion Laboratory at NASA's Glenn Research Center, is being tested to determine the acoustic impact of engine configurations on low sonic boom aircraft for the High Speed Project of the Fundamental Aeronautics Program. The High Speed Project is a multi-center effort to develop and test the technologies of a new generation of aircraft that can fly at supersonic speeds. Glenn's research involves predicting the airport noise of these novel aircraft by examining innovative airframes and propulsion integration that are different from the conventional tube-and-wing aircraft observed at commercial airports. Inside the aeroacoustic dome, this generic, low-fidelity aircraft engine exhaust model features twin rectangular nozzles. Researchers are investigating the impact of having the propulsive exhaust come from the slot nozzles atop the aircraft. Testing the proposed components of these high- speed aircraft will help manufacturers meet the noise standards required around the nation's airports. Image Credit: NASA/Bridget R. Caswell
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