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A brief history of the U.S. manned space program is presented covering the early Mercury and Gemini missions, the Apollo lunar missions, the Skylab project, and the Space Shuttle missions. The role of the Space Station in future manned missions is also discussed. Descriptions of government centers and major contractors supporting the Space Shuttle program are given.
Engineering and scientific information for Mars 71, Mariner Venus-Mercury, and Viking Mars programs
On May 8, 2017, Hanover residents voted overwhelmingly to transition to 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and heating, cooling and transportation by 2050. In so doing, we became the first municipality in the country to make this commitment by popular vote. To accomplish these goal town leaders developed a plan to address first transitioning municipal energy uses to renewable forms of energy, through on-site generation of the municipal electrical load, load reduction through energy efficiency improvements to town facilities and infrastructure. Significant progress has been accomplished in the generation of energy with 90%+ of the 2024 municipal load being offset by generation and through various energy efficiency projects. The utility owned street lighting was identified as a large energy consumer of 165 MWh annually (7% of the annual municipal load) due to old inefficient high-pressure sodium and mercury vapor streetlights with no ability to reduce wattage during periods with low lighting needs. The Hanover LED Streetlight Replacement Project replaced utility owned streetlights with town owned controllable (dimmable and trimmable) LED lights that can be adjusted by location and time of night. Coupled with ownership of the streetlights transfer to the town, the town’s share of the project pay back is 11 months and for the complete project including federal share the payback is approximately 3 years. With the completion of lighting upgrade, the annual streetlighting energy load has dropped by 60% to 67 MWh in the first year of operation (7/1/24 - 6/30/25). This amounts to an approximate $90,000 annual savings or a local 1% tax rate impact. Additionally, over 200,000 pounds of CO2 will be saved annually.
The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) is an independent engineering analysis and test organization providing support across the range of NASA programs. In 2007 NASA was developing the launch escape system for the Orion spacecraft that was evolved from the traditional tower-configuration escape systems used for the historic Mercury and Apollo spacecraft. The NESC was tasked, as a programmatic risk-reduction effort to develop and flight test an alternative to the Orion baseline escape system concept. This project became known as the Max Launch Abort System (MLAS), named in honor of Maxime Faget, the developer of the original Mercury escape system. Over the course of approximately two years the NESC performed conceptual and tradeoff analyses, designed and built full-scale flight test hardware, and conducted a flight test demonstration in July 2009. Since the flight test, the NESC has continued to further develop and refine the MLAS concept.
Mercury (Hg) remediation across contaminated environments in the United States is an ongoing project. As part of the Hg cleanup strategy at East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC), located in Oak Ridge, TN, the deployment of sorbents is considered. However, the impact of sorbents on soil microorganisms is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of sorbents on soil microorganism viability and biofilm formation to assess soil health during sorbent application for Hg remediation. We specifically investigated the effect of two engineered sorbents, Organoclay PM-199 and Organoclay MRM (which are manufactured from clay minerals formulated for various remediation applications), on two gram-negative organisms ( Serratia marcescens and Burkholderia thailandensis ) isolated from the Hg-contaminated EFPC bank soil. Pure cultures of S. marcescens or B. thailandensis were amended with 5% (w/v) and 25% (w/v) PM-199 and MRM, respectively, for 9 days. The samples were harvested, and bacterial cell viability was determined using a BacLight staining kit. Results showed that the growth of sorbent-amended S. marcescens was inhibited in contrast to that of unamended control. Furthermore, biochemical assays were used to analyze bacterial biofilm formation and integral biofilm components. Our results suggest that biofilm formation by sorbent-amended S. marcescens was negatively affected. In contrast, B. thailandensis amended with low concentrations of MRM showed enhanced growth and notable differences in biofilm morphology. These results suggest that the use of organoclay PM-199 and MRM at higher concentrations in field studies may hinder the growth of specific soil microorganisms.
Gemini was the intermediate manned space flight program between America's first steps into space with Mercury and the manned lunar expeditions of Apollo. Because of its position between these two other efforts, Gemini is probably less remembered. Still, it more than had its place in man's progress into this new frontier. Gemini accomplishments were manyfold. They included many firsts: first astronaut-controlled maneuvering in space; first rendezvous in space of one spacecraft with another; first docking of one spacecraft with a propulsive stage and use of that stage to transfer man to high altitude; first traverse of man into the earth's radiation belts; first extended manned flights of a week or more in duration; first extended stays of man outside his spacecraft; first controlled reentry and precision landing; and many more. These achievements were significant in ways one cannot truly evaluate even today, but two things stand out: (1) it was the time when America caught up and surpassed the Soviet Union in manned space flight, and (2) these demonstrations of capability were an absolute prerequisite to the phenomenal Apollo accomplishments then yet to come.
The NASA Deep Space Net (DSN) in support of the Viking Mars Project in 1976, and for science and technology demonstrations during the Mariner-Venus-Mercury mission in 1974, has developed and implemented a dual (S- and X-band) feed for large ground microwave antennas. This feed provides for a multiplicity of functions; very low listening capability at each downlink (spacecraft-to-earth) band as well as simultaneous diplexed very high cw power uplink (earth-to-spacecraft) at the S-band frequency. Total 64-m antenna system performance, is considered in terms of gain, operating noise temperature and dual beam pointing or boresight coincidence. Because of the unique ability to fold or stow the dual band feed elements for single band operations, the performance definition between single and dual band operations will be reliable and accurate.
A programmatic need for research and development to support parachute-based landing systems has not existed since the end of the Apollo missions in the mid-1970s. Now, a number of planned space programs require advanced landing capabilities for which the experience and technology base does not currently exist. New requirements for landing on land with controllable, gliding decelerators and for more effective impact attenuation devices justify a renewal of the landing technology development effort that existed during the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. A study was performed to evaluate the current and projected national capability in landing systems and to identify critical deficiencies in the technology base required to support the Assured Crew Return Vehicle and the Two-Way Manned Transportation System. A technology development program covering eight landing system performance issues is recommended.
Historical footage (1958 - 1983) concerning NASA's Space Program, is reviewed in this two-part video. Host, Lynn Bondurant describes the birth of NASA and its accomplishments through the years. Part one contains: the launch of Russian satellite Sputnik on October 4,1957; the first dog (Soviet) in space; NACA Space Research, Explorer-6; and still photographs of various Space projects. Tiros 1 experimental weather satellite, Microgravity simulators, Echo 1 passive communications satellite, and the first U.S. manned spaceflight Mercury are included in part two. The seven Mercury astronauts are: Captain Donald Slayton, Lt. Commander Alan Shepard, Lt. Commander Walter Schirra, Captain Virgil Grissom, Lt. Col. John Glenn Jr., Captain Leroy Cooper Jr, and Lt. Malcolm Scott Carpenter. Also included are an ongoing interview (throughout the video) with NASA's first Administrator Keith Glennan, the first flight in 1961 with Enos, a chimpanzee, President Kennedy's speech in Washington about the Space Program, Project Gemini - the 2-manned space flights, and the recovery of Virgil Grissom from splash down.
Design, development and preliminary testing of a two-engine xenon ion propulsion module for early flight evaluation is described. Extensive use is made of flight spare propellant system components and also engineering model 30-cm ion engines and assemblies originally developed for the Solar Electric Propulsion System program. Significant design features include a redundant propellant feed system that incorporates a novel gas pulse assembly for rapid and completely reliable engine startup, a central neutralizer subsystem with dual neutralizers for redundancy, and major ion engine performance improvements resulting in a nearly doubling of the 30-cm engine thrust in addition to operating on xenon rather than mercury propellant. At a module input power of 10.0 kw, maximum thrust and specific impulse are projected to be 0.4 N and 3,500 sec. respectively, for a total module efficiency of 67 percent. Total mass of the xenon ion module, including the propellant tank, is only 70.2 kg. The technical approaches taken towards developing and integrating the subsystems comprising this ion propulsion module are presented and discussed in detail.
The primary objective of the Goldstone Solar System Radar is the investigation of solar system bodies by means of Earth-based radar. Targets of primary interest include the Galilean moons, Saturn's rings and moons, and Earth-approaching asteroids and comets. Planets are also of interest, particularly Mercury and the planets to which NASA has not yet planned spacecraft visits. Based on a history of solid achievement, including the definition of the Astronomical Unit, imaging and topography of Mars, Venus, and Mercury, and contributions to the general theory of relativity, the program will continue to support flight project requirements and its primary objectives. The individual target objectives are presented, and information on the following topics are presented in tabular form: Deep Space Network support, compatibility tests, telemetry, command, and tracking support responsibility.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been developing a transatmospheric 'Lightcraft' technology which uses beamed laser energy to propel advanced shuttle craft to orbit. In the past several years, Rensselaer students have analyzed the unique combined-cycle Lightcraft engine, designed a small unmanned Lightcraft Technology Demonstrator, and conceptualized larger manned Lightcraft - to name just a few of the interrelated design projects. The 1990-91 class carried out preliminary and detailed design efforts for a one-person 'Mercury' Lightcraft, using computer-aided design and finite-element structural modeling techniques. In addition, they began construction of a 2.6 m-diameter, full-scale engineering prototype mockup. The mockup will be equipped with three robotic legs that 'kneel' for passenger entry and exit. More importantly, the articulated tripod gear is crucial for accurately pointing at, and tracking the laser relay mirrors, a maneuver that must be performed just prior to liftoff. Also accomplished were further design improvements on a 6-inch-diameter Lightcraft model (for testing in RPI's hypersonic tunnel), and new laser propulsion experiments. The resultant experimental data will be used to calibrate Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) codes and analytical laser propulsion models that can simulate vehicle/engine flight conditions along a transatmospheric boost trajectory. These efforts will enable the prediction of distributed aerodynamic and thruster loads over the entire full-scale spacecraft.
This slide presentation begins with a recap on a previous lecture on the ECLSS subsystems, and the various types (i.e., Non-regenerative vs Regenerative, open loop vs closed loop, and physical-chemical vs bioregenerative) It also recaps the Equivalent system mass (ESM) metric. The presentation continues with a review of the ECLSS of the various NASA manned space exploration programs from Mercury, to the current planned Altair lunar landing, and Lunar base operations. There is also a team project to establish the ESM of two conceptualized missions.
The Langley Research Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is currently involved in several research programs on manned orbital space stations. This research effort is focused on seeking out and solving the problems which lie in the way of the eventual development of such a vehicle for use as a space laboratory. In conducting this research activity, it has been necessary to consider many vehicle configuration designs and operational concepts in some detail. The Langley Research Center space station study program has been in progress for several years, and it was consisted of both in-house activities and contracted efforts with industry. In the early Langley Research Center studies, only zero-gravity configurations were considered; however, the requirement for artificial gravity simulation for experimental purposes was soon added. Human factors considerations indicated that large diameter vehicles with slow rotational velocities generally permit the most comfortable living conditions for the crew. The configurations which were studied were required to be compatible with the planned launch vehicles such as Saturn, and manned spacecraft such as Mercury.
The process of steel production is energy and carbon intensive with global average energy consumption of 5.5 MWh/tonne of steel and CO2 emission intensity of 1.83 tonne CO2/tonne of steel. The steel making process has inherent CO2 emissions from mineral conversion and is considered major contributors to the global carbon emissions. The steel industry is responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions. The main objective of this research project is to execute and complete a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for a commercial-scale, carbon capture project that separates 95% of the total CO2 emissions at the ArcelorMittal’s Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) plant in Portland, TX (Figure 1). The HBI is an ore-based metallic that is used as high-grade feedstock for high-quality steel via an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) route. The HBI plant produces 2.0 million metric tonnes of high-quality HBI and emits approximately 1 million tonnes CO2/yr. The capture system is a Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) system assisted Cryocap™ FG technology (Figure 2). The captured CO2 will be pipeline grade and will be geologically stored in a facility within 10 miles of the CO2 source. The Host Site location in Corpus Christi, TX, is near hydrocarbon processing facilities and near Environmental Justice (EJ) and Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) communities. Due to the location of the Host Site, the retrofit project offers the ability to demonstrate how a workforce focused on the fossil energy sector can be redirected to the clean- energy sector. The Air Liquide Cryocap™ capture technology is a proven technology and has been extensively examined for large industrial applications. It has been shown to be applicable to a variety of industrial applications including the steel industry. Cryocap™ FG (specific setup for Flue Gas application) consists of a Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) unit coupled with a Cryogenic System. The PSA pre-concentrates the CO2 from the flue gas, while the cryogenic unit enables the CO2 purity to be increased to the desired level. The scope of this study incorporates completing FEED study of the CO2 capture system which includes point-source CO2 capture and balance-of-plant; Business Case Analysis (BCA) outlining the current and projected volumes of the steel plant’s point sources of CO2 and the potential utilization of tax credits, including its projected revenue and duration; Life Cycle Analysis (LCA); Environmental Justice Analysis; Economic Revitalization and Job Creation Outcomes Analysis; and Workforce Readiness Plan. The plant design work was divided into two components: Inside Battery Limits (ISBL) and Outside Battery Limits (OSBL). The ISBL focuses on the capture system, while the OSBL focuses on the utility feeds and ducting from the plant to the capture system. Various design and engineering deliverables will be developed to define commodity quantities, equipment specifications, and labour effort required to execute the project. These FEED study deliverables will be prepared with the intent to develop an overall project capital cost estimate consistent with an AACE Class 3 estimate. The modular approach for the Cryocap™ FG that is being designed for this study integrates compression, PSA, and cryogenic “bricks” to achieve the desired CO2 capture rates. This carbon capture system integrates easily with the existing plant, thus reducing project costs and risks. It is also capable of managing impurities such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), mercury, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter. The capture system has a smaller footprint than amine-based systems. The two-step process uses PSA to preconcentrate the CO2 in the feedstream and then uses the cryogenic portion to purify and compress the resulting high purity CO2 product. This combination of purification and compression (i.e., process intensification) significantly reduces the CAPEX associated with use of a separate compressor commonly utilized for amine solvent-based systems. Successful completion of the FEED study will provide DOE with a detailed understanding of the costs for scaling up this proven capture technology for commercial applications at industrial facilities.
Habitability is understood to mean those spacecraft design elements that involve a degree of comfort, quality or necessities to support man in space. These elements are environment, architecture, mobility, clothing, housekeeping, food and drink, personal hygiene, off-duty activities, each of which plays a substantial part in the success of a mission. Habitability design for past space flights is discussed relative to the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab spacecraft, with special emphasis on an examination of the Shuttle Orbiter cabin design from a habitability standpoint. Future projects must consider the duration and mission objectives to meet their habitability requirements. Larger ward rooms, improved sleeping quarters and more complete hygiene facilities must be provided for future prolonged space flights
The Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC), a NASA Technology Demonstration Mission, was launched into low-Earth orbit on June 25, 2019 as a hosted payload aboard General Atomics’ Orbital Test Bed (OTB) spacecraft. The DSAC mission has been conducting a two-year demonstration of a mercury ion atomic clock to characterize its space-based performance and to validate its utility for deep space navigation and radio science. Analysis of the collected data using JPL’s GIPSY-OASIS software has shown DSAC’s AD at one-day to be near 310-15; much better than required AD of 210-14. Such low spacecraft clock errors will enable one-way radiometric tracking data with precision equivalent to or better than current-day two way tracking data, allowing a shift to a more efficient and flexible one-way deep space navigation architecture. To verify this, an analog deep space navigation experiment was performed using JPL’s operational navigation software (Monte). The experiment recovered orbit solutions with reduced data sets and geometric variations that are more representative of deep space missions, and showed that orbit determination using DSAC derived data is on par with more traditional two-way datatypes. As a technology demonstrator, DSAC’s development focus has been on maturing the mercury ion trap clock technology rather than achieving the smallest size, weight, and power (SWaP). Over the course of DSAC’s development the project has identified numerous improvements that could be made to significantly reduce SWaP for DSAC’s next version. Indeed, DSAC-2 was recently selected by NASA for further demonstration on the VERITAS mission to Venus. This work will review the DSAC technology, mission, and results from its two-year mission.
The objectives, functions, and organization of the deep space network are summarized. Progress in flight project support, tracking and data acquisition research and technology, network engineering, hardware and software implementation, and operations is reported. Interface support for the Mariner Venus Mercury 1973 flight and Pioneer 10 and 11 missions is included.