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At least 1,693 records · Page 94

STS-101: Crew Interview / Susan J. Helms

Live footage of a preflight interview with Mission Specialist Susan J. Helms is seen. The interview addresses many different questions including why Helms became an astronaut, the individuals who influenced her, and the events that led to her interest. Other interesting information that this one-on-one interview discusses is his reaction to and the reasons for the change of the mission objectives. Susan also mentions the docking with the International Space Station (ISS), the repairs of equipment, the change of the batteries, and the transfer of equipment. Susan explains why she, James S. Voss, and Yuri Vladimirovich Usachev are the perfect choice for this mission because of their experience with the ISS modules. She also discusses what the ISS means to her as well as to the human efforts to explore space.

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Remembering Apollo 11: The 30th Anniversary Data Archive CD-ROM

On July 20, 1969, the human race accomplished its single greatest technological achievement of all time when a human first set foot on another celestial body. Six hours after landing at 4:17 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (with less than thirty seconds of fuel remaining), Neil A. Armstrong took the "small step" into our greater future when he stepped off the Lunar Module, named Eagle, onto the surface of the Moon, from which he could look up and see Earth in the heavens as no one had done before him. He was shortly joined by Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and the two astronauts spent twenty-one hours on the lunar surface and returned forty-six pounds of lunar rocks. After their historic walks on the Moon, they successfully docked with Michael Collins, patiently orbiting the cold but no longer lifeless Moon alone in the Command module Columbia. This CR-ROM is intended as a collection of hard to find technical data and other interesting information about the Apollo 11 mission, as well as the apollo program in general. It includes basic overviews, such as a retrospective analysis, an annotated bibliography, and history of the lunar-orbit rendezvous concept. It also contains technical data, such as mission operations reports, press kits, and news references for all of the Apollo missions, the Apollo spacecraft, and the Saturn V launch vehicle. Rounding out this CD-ROM are extensive histories of the lunar Orbiter program (the robotic predecessor to Apollo, biographies of the Apollo astronauts and other key individuals, and interesting audio-visual materials, such as video and audio clips, photo galleries, and blueprint-like diagrams of the Apollo spacecraft.

Edgar M Cortright↗

STS-101: Crew Interview - Jim Halsell

The objective of STS-101 will be the servicing of the International Space Station, to ensure that it will be ready to receive a crew later in 2000. The crew, commanded by James D. Halsell, will include Pilot Scott J. Horowitz, Mission Specialists Mary Ellen Weber, Jeffrey N. Williams, James S. Voss, Susan J. Helms and Yuri V. Usachev. This videotape provides live coverage of an interview with the mission commander Jim Halsell. He describes the influences on his life that led him to become a NASA astronaut, and the importance of the mission. He discusses the new glass cockpit design. He describes the flight plan and the docking maneuver. An important feature of this mission is the replacement of electric components, voltage and current regulators on the space station. Commander Halsell also describes the role of each crew member during the re-supply and refitting of the Space Station and reviews the priorities.

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A Tribute to National Aeronautics and Space Administration Minority Astronauts: Past and Present

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been selecting astronauts since 1959. The first group was called the "Mercury Seven." These seven men were chosen because of their performance as military officers and test pilots, their character, their intelligence, and their guts. Six of these seven flew in the Mercury capsule. Several additional groups were chosen between 1959 and 1978. It was an exciting period in the American space program. Many of these astronauts participated in the Gemini and Apollo programs, traveled and walked on the Moon, docked with the Russians during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, and occupied America's first space station, the Skylab. With the onset of the Space Shuttle, a new era began. The astronauts selected in 19 78 broke the traditional mold. For the first time, minorities and women became part of America's astronaut corps. Since then, eight additional groups have been selected, with an increasing mix of African American, Hispanic, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American men and women. These astronauts will continue the American space program into the new millennium by continuing flights on the Space Shuttle and participating in the construction and occupancy of the International Space Station. These astronauts, and those who will be chosen in the future, will lead America and its partners to future voyages beyond the influence of Earth's gravity.

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Further Investigations of the Passive Optical Sample Assembly (POSA) - I Flight Experiment

The Passive Optical Sample Assembly-I (POSA-I), part of the Mir Environmental Effects Payload (MEEP), was designed to study the combined effects of contamination, atomic oxygen, ultraviolet radiation, vacuum, then-nal cycling, and other constituents of the space environment on spacecraft materials. The MEEP program is a Phase I International Space Station Risk Mitigation Experiment. Candidate materials for the International Space Station (ISS) were exposed in a specially designed "suitcase" carrier, with identical specimens facing either Mir or space. The payload was attached by EVA to the exterior of the Mir docking module during the STS-76 mission (f'ig. 1). It was removed during the STS-86 mission after an 18-month exposure. During the mission, it received approximately 7 x 1019 atoMS/CM2 atomic oxygen, as calculated by polymer mass loss, and 413 ESH of solar ultraviolet radiation on the Mir-facing side. The side facing away from Mir received significant contaminant deposition, so atomic oxygen fluence has not been reliably determined. The side facing away from Mir received 571 ESH of solar UV. Contamination was observed on both the Mir-facing and space-facing sides of the POSA-I experiment , with a greater amount of deposition on the space facing side than the Mir side. The contamination has been determined to be outgassed silicone photofixed by ultraviolet radiation and converted to silicate by atomic oxygen interaction. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) with depth profiling indicated the presence of 26 - 31 nm silicate on the Mir-facing side and 500 - 1000 nm silicate on the space-facing side. The depth profiling also showed that the contaminant layer was uniform, with a small amount of carbon present on the surface and trace amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and tin. The surface carbon layer is likely due to post-flight exposure in the laboratory and is similar to carbonaceous deposits on control samples. EDAX and FTIR analysis concurred with ESCA for the presence of silicon, oxygen, and carbon. Nearly 400 samples were exposed on POSA-I, which included materials such as thermal control coatings polymeric films, optical materials, and multi-layer insulation blankets. A previous paper discussed the effects of the space environment exposure and contaminant deposition on candidate materials for ISS, including Z93P inorganic thermal control coating, various anodizes, and multi-layer insulation blankets. This paper details the investigation of environmental effects on the remainder of POSA-I samples, particularly the innovative conductive thermal control coatings developed by AZ Technology of Huntsville, AL and HT Research Institute of Chicago, IL. The silicone/silicate contamination had a significant impact on the solar absorptance of white inorganic thermal control coatings on the space-facing side of POSA-I. The effect of contamination on electrical conductivity is discussed. Samples of conductive anodized aluminum developed by Boundary Technologies of Buffalo Grove, IL were also exposed on POSA-I. The effects of the space environment and contaminant deposition on the optical and electrical properties of the conductive anodized aluminum are discussed.

Finckenor, Miria M.↗

STS-106 Crew Interviews: Scott D. Altman

Live footage of a preflight interview with Pilot Scott D. Altman is seen. The interview addresses many different questions including why Altman became a pilot, the events that led to his interest, his career path through the Navy, and then finally, his selection by NASA as an astronaut. Other interesting information discussed in this one-on-one interview was his work on the movie set of "Top Gun," the highlights of his Navy career, and possible shorter time frame turnarounds for missions. Altman also mentions the scheduled docking with the new International Space Station (ISS) after the arrival of the Zvezda Service Module.

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STS-106 Crew Interviews: Terrence W. Wilcutt

Live footage of a preflight interview with Mission Commander Terrence W. Wilcutt is seen. The interview addresses many different questions including why Wilcutt became an astronaut, the events that led to his interest, and his career both as a High School Mathematics Teacher and as a member of the US Marine Corps. Other interesting information that this one-on-one interview discusses are his responsibilities during docking and undocking of the spacecraft, and possible shorter time frame turnarounds for missions. Wilcutt also mentions the scheduled installation and transfer of equipment into the new International Space Station (ISS).

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Robustness of Flexible Systems With Component-Level Uncertainties

Robustness of flexible systems in the presence of model uncertainties at the component level is considered. Specifically, an approach for formulating robustness of flexible systems in the presence of frequency and damping uncertainties at the component level is presented. The synthesis of the components is based on a modifications of a controls-based algorithm for component mode synthesis. The formulation deals first with robustness of synthesized flexible systems. It is then extended to deal with global (non-synthesized ) dynamic models with component-level uncertainties by projecting uncertainties from component levels to system level. A numerical example involving a two-dimensional simulated docking problem is worked out to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach.

Maghami, Peiman G.↗

STS-106 Crew Activities Report/Flight Day 05 Highlights

On this fifth day of the STS-106 Atlantis mission, the flight crew, Commander Terrence W. Wilcutt, Pilot Scott D. Altman, and Mission Specialists Daniel C. Burbank, Edward T. Lu, Richard A. Mastracchio, Yuri Ivanovich Malenchenko, and Boris V. Morukov are seen participating in several activities. Malenchenko and Wilcutt are seen opening the hatches of the Zvezda Service Module and the Zarya Control Module, and finally, the transfer chamber of Zvezda, Progress. Burbank and Mastracchio are seen transferring food and equipment, and removing the manual docking system of Zarya. Lu, Burbank and Malenchenko are also seen checking the hatch interfaces. Footage also shows the entire interior of the International Space Station (ISS) complex.

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Assessment of Thermal Control and Protective Coatings

This final report is concerned with the tasks performed during the contract period which included spacecraft coating development, testing, and applications. Five marker coatings consisting of a bright yellow handrail coating, protective overcoat for ceramic coatings, and specialized primers for composites (or polymer) surfaces were developed and commercialized by AZ Technology during this program. Most of the coatings have passed space environmental stability requirements via ground tests and/or flight verification. Marker coatings and protective overcoats were successfully flown on the Passive Optical Sample Assembly (POSA) and the Optical Properties Monitor (OPM) experiments flown on the Russian space station MIR. To date, most of the coatings developed and/or modified during this program have been utilized on the International Space Station and other spacecraft. For ISS, AZ Technology manufactured the 'UNITY' emblem now being flown on the NASA UNITY node (Node 1) that is docked to the Russian Zarya (FGB) utilizing the colored marker coatings (white, blue, red) developed by AZ Technology. The UNITY emblem included the US American flag, the Unity logo, and NASA logo on a white background, applied to a Beta cloth substrate.

Mell, Richard J.↗

Evaluation of X-38 Crew Return Vehicle Input Control Devices in a Microgravity Environment

This report was created by students from Longview High School, Longview, Texas. Longview High School was selected from a group of Texas high schools to participate in the 1999 Texas Fly High Program. This program gives Texas high school students a chance to work with NASA engineers to design and fly a real-world experiment aboard the KC-135 during zero-g parabolas. Jeffrey Fox's role was to provide a concept for the experiment and to mentor the students in its design and testing. The students were responsible for executing all phases of the project. The X-38 Project Office at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Johnson Space is designing a crew return vehicle (CRV) to be docked at the International Space Station for crew rescue in an emergency. Vehicle controls will be almost completely automated, but a few functions will be manually controlled. Four crew input control devices were selected for evaluation by Longview High School students as part of the 1999 Texas Fly High program. These were (1) Logitech Trackman Marble (optical trackball), (2) Smart Cat Touchpad. (3) Microsoft SideWinder 3D-Pro Joystick, and (4) Microsoft SideWinder Gamepad. In two flight tests in the KC-135 aircraft and a series of ground tests, the devices were evaluated for ability to maneuver an on-screen cursor, level of accuracy, ease of handling blind operations, and level of user comfort in microgravity. The tests results led to recommendation of further tests with the Joystick and the Trackman by astronauts and actual space station residents.

Welge, Kirsten↗

STS-97 Crew Activity Report/Flight Day 3 Highlights

On this third day of the STS-97 mission, Commander Brent W. Jett, Pilot Michael J. Bloomfield, and Mission Specialists Joseph R. Tanner, Carlos I. Noriega, and Marc Garneau continue to approach the International Space Station (ISS) in the Endeavour Orbiter. Footage shows the docking of Endeavour with the ISS and the solar array truss on the robotic arm against a backdrop of Earth.

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STS-97 Crew Activity Report/Flight Day 4 Highlights

On this fourth day of the STS-97 Endeavour mission, Commander Brent W. Jett, Pilot Michael J. Bloomfield, and Mission Specialists Joseph R. Tanner, Carlos I. Noriega, and Marc Garneau remain docked with the International Space Station (ISS) as Noriega and Tanner are seen during their spacewalk. The astronauts help Jett guide the P6 solar array truss into place in the ISS. Footage shows the deployment of the ISS's solar wings.

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STS-97 Crew Activity Report/Flight Day 6 Highlights

On this sixth day of the STS-97 mission, Commander Brent W. Jett, Pilot Michael J. Bloomfield, and Mission Specialists Joseph R. Tanner, Carlos I. Noriega, and Marc Garneau remained docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on the Endeavour Orbiter. Tanner and Noriega are seeing during their spacewalks, studying the solar wing and moving the S-band antenna assembly.

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STS-97 Crew Activity Report/Flight Day 11 Highlights

On this eleventh day of the STS-97 mission, Commander Brent W. Jett, Pilot Michael J. Bloomfield, and Mission Specialists Joseph R. Tanner, Carlos I. Noriega, and Marc Garneau remain docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on board the Endeavour Orbiter. Jett and Bloomfield are seen performing a check of the shuttle flight controls in preparation for tomorrow's landing. Jett, Noriega, and Tanner answer questions about the mission and the goals fulfilled. Footage shows the Earth at night as the camera on Endeavour sweeps the Mediterranean coastline, outlined by city lights, showing Spanish/French border, the French Riviera, the Alps, Italy, Switzerland, and the German/Austrian border.

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STS-97 Crew Activity Report/Flight Day 8 Highlights

On this eighth day of the STS-97 mission, Commander Brent W. Jett, Pilot Michael J. Bloomfield, and Mission Specialists Joseph R. Tanner, Carlos I. Noriega, and Marc Garneau remain docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on the Endeavour Orbiter. Tanner and Noriega are seeing preparing for their spacewalks. Footage shows them removing debris from the outer shield of the Unity Module during their spacewalks.

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STS-92 Mission Overview

Chuck Shaw, STS-92 Lead Flight Director, and Sally Davis, International Space Station (ISS) Lead Flight Director, give an overview of the STS-92 Discovery mission in this preflight conference. The mission objectives and activities are discussed, including details on the launch, Discovery rendezvous and docking with ISS, the crew, spacewalks, and payload (IMAX, Z-1 Truss, PMA-3, DDCU, etc.). Preflight activities are described and information on the ISS is given. Mr. Shaw and Ms. Davis then answer questions from the press.

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STS-101 Mission Highlights Resource Tape, Part 1 of 3

An overview of the STS-101 Atlantis mission is given through footage of each flight day. Scenes from flight days one through four show activities such as astronaut prelaunch procedures (breakfast, suit-up, and boarding Atlantis), launch, and on-orbit activities including the robotic arm checkout, docking with the International Space Station, and Mission Specialists Jim Voss' and Jeff Williams' spacewalks. See 'STS-101 Mission Highlights Resource Tape, Part 2 of 3' and 'STS-101 Mission Highlights Resource Tape, Part 3 of 3' for the activities of flight days 5 through 11.

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