By Ann Marie Trotta, NASA HQ
Today, June 21, is the first day of summer and also is designated “National Summer Learning Day.”
I’m sure the words “summer” and “learning” elicit groans from many students, but past experience has shown that if the content is interesting and the approach is hands on and dynamic, then summer learning can not only be a very rewarding experience, it can also open doors to many new opportunities.
In November 2009, President Obama announced a national campaign called Educate to Innovate focused on increasing the scientific and technical literacy of our student population in order to ensure that the U.S. will have the scientists, engineers and technology-savvy workforce needed for our nation to remain competitive in the future. NASA’s Office of Education responded to this challenge with a three-year pilot program called Summer of Innovation (SOI) to engage middle school students in compelling science and engineering learning experiences during the school break.
As NASA begins SOI’s second year, I am excited about what we are able to offer this summer to stimulate learning outside of the traditional classroom setting. We have more than 300 planned collaborations across the country to engage students and teachers in exciting NASA-themed content and experiences this summer.
As I speak with educators and experts across the country, the huge potential for summer learning is often central to the conversation. Many students fall victim to “summer slide,” or a loss of academic skills over the summer months. It costs both teachers and students precious time during the beginning of every school year, as they are forced to re-teach and re-learn content that has already been covered instead of moving on to new challenges.
One important goal of SOI is to keep students interested and engaged by combining learning with inspiration and a sense of fun -- but it goes deeper than that. Just as important as addressing the “summer slide”, is presenting students with an opportunity to explore content in depth and begin to build a real passion for a topic.
I witness regularly NASA’s incredible ability to excite and inspire students through its missions and programs of exploration and discovery. I believe that summer learning is the perfect opportunity to target our unique assets to begin inspiring and motivating tomorrow’s astronauts, engineers and rocket scientists. I recently saw a statistic that 75% of all Nobel Prize winners attribute their interest in science to an experience that occurred outside of the classroom.
This year, NASA’s Summer of Innovation website (www.nasa.gov/soi) has hundreds of hours of lessons, challenges, and content for summer program providers, parents or the public to share with students during the summer months. Exciting and interesting activities that deal with how we live and work in space, our exploration pursuits of Mars and other planets, emerging robotics technology and principles of rocketry are available for use. Today, on this first day of summer 2011, I encourage you to take a few moments to check it out and share the excitement of NASA’s mission. The experience that you help create for a student or your child this summer could be the beginning of their incredible journey as a future explorer.
Please join us in this noble effort as we encourage our young people to dream big and reach higher.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
J-2X Progress: Road Trip, Baby!
By William Greene, MSFC, AL
It wasn't too many years ago that there was this thing about asking sports heroes after winning the big game, "So, what's next?" They would always dutifully answer "I'm going to Disney World!" I guess that that whole thing is passé since I've not heard it in awhile, so I am going offer an alternative. Maybe it'll catch on and be the BIG THING this summer…
…or, well, maybe not.
But that is what happens next. Our little engine is pulled out of the air-conditioned confines of its assembly area and trucked across the NASA Stennis Space Center to its test stand. No more pleasantly cool and dry air for you, E10001. This is Mississippi in June. Thus, in order to make this trip out in the open like this on the back of the truck (don't try this at home!), the engine has to be sealed up tight against the humidity (and bugs) hanging in the air. Anywhere where there is an opening, there is a cover, a closure, or a plug. From the lot at the assembly building in picture (1) below, down the road towards the engine testing area in pictures (2) and (3), and finally arriving at the lot behind test stand A-2 in picture (4). In picture (5), you can see that the truck backs in alongside the test stand for the next operation.
The next operation is to get the engine up into the test stand. Years ago, this test stand was built for testing the Apollo Program S-II stage (the second stage of the Saturn V vehicle that was powered by five J-2 engines). Back then, they basically picked up the whole stage (from a canal barge, not a flatbed truck) high into the air and lowered it down from above into the stand. When it was converted to be an engine-only test stand for Space Shuttle Main Engine testing in the early 1970's, propellant tanks were added on top of the stand. So you can no longer lower the test article in from way up above. Rather, you lift it up about four or five stories and then pull it in laterally. This is the "engine deck," the level where the engine will be installed into the stand. In the pictures below you can see the operation of pulling the engine off the transport truck and up to the engine deck level of test stand A-2.
After the engine is lifted to the correct height, it is brought laterally into the stand and set down on the "porch." That's what the folks on the test stand call it: the porch. The other day somebody (obviously from out of town) mistakenly referred to it as the "veranda." We'll have none of that fancy talk around here! The thing onto which the engine is set is the Engine Vertical Installer (EVI). This is a hydraulic lift table that will be used to raise the engine into place when it is to be bolted to the test stand. So, here is the sequence: you lift the engine up to the engine deck level, you pull it into the stand and set the engine down on the EVI sitting on the porch, then you slide the EVI horizontally into the heart of the test stand (the EVI is on rails for this purpose), you then raise the engine into the test position, bolt it in place, and then you slide the EVI back out of the way. Ta-da! Now you've installed an engine for test!
In the pictures below you can see the technicians positioning the engine onto the EVI on the porch. In the bottom picture of the set, you can see in the background to the left test stand A-3 still under construction and, to the right, test stand A-1 where, early next year, J-2X powerpack testing will be conducted.
So, our little baby engine is all grown up and ready to see the great big world from high up in the test stand. The next phase of our development program is now begun: the testing phase. After the engine is installed and the test stand is readied for hot fire, J-2X development engine E10001 will be used to demonstrate basic operations such as start, mainstage, and shutdown, to verify main chamber combustion stability, and to provide initial validation of numerous systems-level simulations and models.
Okay, somebody go carefully poke the Datadogs because soon we're going to have genuine, full-up rocket engine test data from J-2X. And, as a final note, I offer an extra special tip of the hat to all of the folks at SSC (NASA, Pratt & Whitney, and support contractors) for doing an amazing job in terms of engine assembly and test stand readiness preparations. Don't ever think that your extraordinary efforts go unrecognized or unappreciated. Bravo!
It wasn't too many years ago that there was this thing about asking sports heroes after winning the big game, "So, what's next?" They would always dutifully answer "I'm going to Disney World!" I guess that that whole thing is passé since I've not heard it in awhile, so I am going offer an alternative. Maybe it'll catch on and be the BIG THING this summer…
But that is what happens next. Our little engine is pulled out of the air-conditioned confines of its assembly area and trucked across the NASA Stennis Space Center to its test stand. No more pleasantly cool and dry air for you, E10001. This is Mississippi in June. Thus, in order to make this trip out in the open like this on the back of the truck (don't try this at home!), the engine has to be sealed up tight against the humidity (and bugs) hanging in the air. Anywhere where there is an opening, there is a cover, a closure, or a plug. From the lot at the assembly building in picture (1) below, down the road towards the engine testing area in pictures (2) and (3), and finally arriving at the lot behind test stand A-2 in picture (4). In picture (5), you can see that the truck backs in alongside the test stand for the next operation.
The next operation is to get the engine up into the test stand. Years ago, this test stand was built for testing the Apollo Program S-II stage (the second stage of the Saturn V vehicle that was powered by five J-2 engines). Back then, they basically picked up the whole stage (from a canal barge, not a flatbed truck) high into the air and lowered it down from above into the stand. When it was converted to be an engine-only test stand for Space Shuttle Main Engine testing in the early 1970's, propellant tanks were added on top of the stand. So you can no longer lower the test article in from way up above. Rather, you lift it up about four or five stories and then pull it in laterally. This is the "engine deck," the level where the engine will be installed into the stand. In the pictures below you can see the operation of pulling the engine off the transport truck and up to the engine deck level of test stand A-2.
After the engine is lifted to the correct height, it is brought laterally into the stand and set down on the "porch." That's what the folks on the test stand call it: the porch. The other day somebody (obviously from out of town) mistakenly referred to it as the "veranda." We'll have none of that fancy talk around here! The thing onto which the engine is set is the Engine Vertical Installer (EVI). This is a hydraulic lift table that will be used to raise the engine into place when it is to be bolted to the test stand. So, here is the sequence: you lift the engine up to the engine deck level, you pull it into the stand and set the engine down on the EVI sitting on the porch, then you slide the EVI horizontally into the heart of the test stand (the EVI is on rails for this purpose), you then raise the engine into the test position, bolt it in place, and then you slide the EVI back out of the way. Ta-da! Now you've installed an engine for test!
In the pictures below you can see the technicians positioning the engine onto the EVI on the porch. In the bottom picture of the set, you can see in the background to the left test stand A-3 still under construction and, to the right, test stand A-1 where, early next year, J-2X powerpack testing will be conducted.
So, our little baby engine is all grown up and ready to see the great big world from high up in the test stand. The next phase of our development program is now begun: the testing phase. After the engine is installed and the test stand is readied for hot fire, J-2X development engine E10001 will be used to demonstrate basic operations such as start, mainstage, and shutdown, to verify main chamber combustion stability, and to provide initial validation of numerous systems-level simulations and models.
Okay, somebody go carefully poke the Datadogs because soon we're going to have genuine, full-up rocket engine test data from J-2X. And, as a final note, I offer an extra special tip of the hat to all of the folks at SSC (NASA, Pratt & Whitney, and support contractors) for doing an amazing job in terms of engine assembly and test stand readiness preparations. Don't ever think that your extraordinary efforts go unrecognized or unappreciated. Bravo!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
J-2X Progress: Engine Assembly Complete
By William Greene, MSFC, AL
Just by chance, did you happen to see the title for this article? If not, please allow me the indulgence of repeating it…
Okay, I'm not ashamed. That felt good! We've all been working a long time to get to hoot and howl a bit about this. Wahoo! We are now officially into the next phase for J-2X development engine E10001.
Here, below on the left, was the engine sitting all cozy where it was assembled.
And on the right is the engine being lifted up and out of the assembly deck via an overhead crane. The techs then walked the engine out to the loading dock. There it was carefully loaded onto and mounted to a flatbed truck.
And next, our intrepid little will engine will brave the Mississippi heat on a gonzo road trip across the NASA Stennis Space Center to take up residence at the test stand. More on that coming soon!
Just by chance, did you happen to see the title for this article? If not, please allow me the indulgence of repeating it…
Here, below on the left, was the engine sitting all cozy where it was assembled.
And on the right is the engine being lifted up and out of the assembly deck via an overhead crane. The techs then walked the engine out to the loading dock. There it was carefully loaded onto and mounted to a flatbed truck.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Summer Interns Blogs!
Once again, our Summer STEM Experience interns will share their thoughts about their activities in a dedicated blog. You can join in and learn about the students spending their vacations at NASA centers across the country, and the cool jobs they have been assigned. It is not all work and no play, so you may also find out what happens after work as the interns relax and enjoy their off time!
To access the Summer Interns Blogs, click the link at the top of the left column. Of the options available, select "Blog List". You must then select each of the ten NASA centers, click the box in the left column, and then click the add icon (it is the middle icon above the Last Name, First Name column, the one with the star and the plus sign). A short cut is to search for Center, and you'll get eight centers that pop up to be added. The two remaining ones are the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Dryden Flight Research Center (which is listed as Dryden Flight Research). After selecting the ten centers, just click on the 'Blog Watch' option and you'll find the latest blogs listed in descending chronological order.
Each week, a new blog will post from each center, from each level. Different centers will post on different days. After reading the blog, don't forget to leave a comment! Students are anxious to hear from you!
To access the Summer Interns Blogs, click the link at the top of the left column. Of the options available, select "Blog List". You must then select each of the ten NASA centers, click the box in the left column, and then click the add icon (it is the middle icon above the Last Name, First Name column, the one with the star and the plus sign). A short cut is to search for Center, and you'll get eight centers that pop up to be added. The two remaining ones are the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Dryden Flight Research Center (which is listed as Dryden Flight Research). After selecting the ten centers, just click on the 'Blog Watch' option and you'll find the latest blogs listed in descending chronological order.
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| INSPIRE interns on the way to work at KSC |
Monday, June 6, 2011
J-2X Progress: Engine Assembly, Volume 5
By William Greene, MSFC
The first car that I ever owned was a "goldenrod" 1974 Ford Pinto. My uncle Johnny was a car salesman for Buick at the time. He sold new, bright, and shiny machines in his showroom, but, of course, they took in trades of all shapes and sizes and conditions, many of which they would not dare put back on their own lot. My little Pinto was just such a vehicle. I bought it from the obscure and hidden back lot for $500 with absolutely, positively no guarantee that it would continue running until the end of the week. While it was only eight years old, back then (sad to say) autos simply didn’t last as long as they seem to today, particularly if driven hard in the weather of the northeast. So I spent months and months of afterschool hours and weekends replacing rusted panels and floorboards with broad swaths of fiberglass. Also, despite the fact that I was never a true gear-head, I was able to open up the hood and do some work on the engine. It was a straight four cylinders and as simple as could be. You could reach into the engine compartment and easily find and touch just about every greasy major component.
Just a couple of years later, my mother bought a new Saab. When I opened the hood of that sleek machine, I couldn’t find anything. The engine was turned sideways, apparently, and the compartment was completely stuffed to the gills with overly clean, boxed-up things that I couldn’t identify, and lines zigging and zagging in all directions. It was fuel-injected and front-wheel-drive and all kinds of other jet-engine craziness that my cozy little, oil-burning Pinto was not. So I closed the hood of that pretty blue Saab and I decided that I’d never make it as a modern mechanic.
Why am I bringing this up? Because some of the latest pictures from the assembly of J-2X Engine 10001 reminded me of my confusion in looking under the hood of my mother’s car. Only much worse. Yikes.
I'll get to the progress we’ve made with the big pieces, but first I want to talk briefly about what looks like a chaotic explosion of confusing stuff all over the engine pictures. I will begin by telling you a secret: There are two reasons that we test rocket engines. First, we test rocket engines so as to impress our friends, most of whom are geek engineers like ourselves or people otherwise excited by loud noises made by neato, exotic machines (i.e., lots of NASCAR fans).
Second, we test rocket engines to gather data. Lots and lots of data. Many gigabytes of data. We measure pressures, temperatures, rotational speeds, flow rates, and dynamic vibrations both in terms of acceleration and in terms of strain. As part of the development program, we test in order to prove that what we thought was true when we created and analyzed the design is in fact true with the real hardware. And anywhere where we were mistaken, we need to know as quickly as possible so that we can recalculate our margins of safety and, if necessary, make adjustments to the design for the next development engine to be tested. Testing rocket engines is not cheap, and, of course, neither are the engines themselves, but we need to acquire this thorough, unassailable understanding of the engine long before we would ever imagine strapping a human life to something with such awesome power.
This need for data explains much of the "bloom" of seemingly ten thousand little lines and wires snaking hither and yon all over the engine. Some of these small lines carry pneumatic pressure for actuating valves or providing purges, but lots of them are related to the many, many measurements we’ll be taking during the upcoming hot-fire test series. In fact, these early development engines will be far more heavily instrumented than any engine we would ever fly because, again, their whole purpose to generate useful data (well, that and to impress our friends). What is truly amazing to realize is the fact that every one of these lines has a specific shape and route; every one of these lines is designed, not randomly configured; and every one of these lines represents a documented step in the assembly process.
Now to the big stuff.
The first big assembly news to share was the arrival of the regeneratively-cooled portion of the nozzle (usually called the "regen nozzle" around here). In the pictures above, on the left you can see the assembly technicians preparing to lift the regen nozzle out of its shipping container. On the right is a picture of some preparations being made to the nozzle before the rest of the engine is stacked on top. If you'll remember, the rest of the engine was previously being assembled on a simulator of the nozzle. Interesting little side note: In order for the technician to get into the position you see in the picture on the right, she had to crawl under the elevated assembly platform and stand up inside the nozzle. In the picture below you can see the stack of the engine on the actual regen nozzle.
Now, with the regen nozzle in place, lots more stuff could be added to the assembly. In the collage below, five big items are shown in the process of installation: (1) the liquid oxygen pump discharge duct that carries liquid oxygen from the pump to the main oxidizer valve, (2) the oxidizer turbine discharge duct that contains within it the helium heat exchanger, (3) the turbine cross-over duct that carries hot turbine drive gas from the hydrogen turbopump turbine outlet to the oxidizer turbopump turbine inlet, (4) the main fuel valve, and (5) the fuel pump discharge duct that carries liquid hydrogen from the fuel pump to the main fuel valve.
And that’s just a small sampling of the flurry of assembly activity over the last few weeks. I like the fact that I was able to include pictures showing some of the folks working hard to get this thing put together. They're doing an extraordinary job. The result of all this work is something that is really, truly starting to look like a rocket engine. The pictures below show what you'd see if you took a casual stroll around the engine. Note that the regen nozzle is covered with a black, protective tarp and there are other protective coverings all over the engine, so this isn't quite as gorgeous as it could be, but for us rocket geeks it's awfully compelling.
So, that's where the engine stands. Almost all of the big stuff is installed, with just a couple of notable exceptions. Additionally, lots and lots of little stuff has also been installed. Over the past few weeks, it’s come a long, long way. As a reminder, take a look at this:
But, then, I guess everything eventually comes a long way with a little bit of hard work. Take, for example, how I've been blessed to evolve through the years:
With all due respect to the Ford Motor Company and their venerable line of Pinto automobiles, that's one heck of a leap even if it did take a long time. I just bet that my Uncle Johnny would be proud to think that he was there at the start of the whole thing.
The first car that I ever owned was a "goldenrod" 1974 Ford Pinto. My uncle Johnny was a car salesman for Buick at the time. He sold new, bright, and shiny machines in his showroom, but, of course, they took in trades of all shapes and sizes and conditions, many of which they would not dare put back on their own lot. My little Pinto was just such a vehicle. I bought it from the obscure and hidden back lot for $500 with absolutely, positively no guarantee that it would continue running until the end of the week. While it was only eight years old, back then (sad to say) autos simply didn’t last as long as they seem to today, particularly if driven hard in the weather of the northeast. So I spent months and months of afterschool hours and weekends replacing rusted panels and floorboards with broad swaths of fiberglass. Also, despite the fact that I was never a true gear-head, I was able to open up the hood and do some work on the engine. It was a straight four cylinders and as simple as could be. You could reach into the engine compartment and easily find and touch just about every greasy major component.
Just a couple of years later, my mother bought a new Saab. When I opened the hood of that sleek machine, I couldn’t find anything. The engine was turned sideways, apparently, and the compartment was completely stuffed to the gills with overly clean, boxed-up things that I couldn’t identify, and lines zigging and zagging in all directions. It was fuel-injected and front-wheel-drive and all kinds of other jet-engine craziness that my cozy little, oil-burning Pinto was not. So I closed the hood of that pretty blue Saab and I decided that I’d never make it as a modern mechanic.
Why am I bringing this up? Because some of the latest pictures from the assembly of J-2X Engine 10001 reminded me of my confusion in looking under the hood of my mother’s car. Only much worse. Yikes.
I'll get to the progress we’ve made with the big pieces, but first I want to talk briefly about what looks like a chaotic explosion of confusing stuff all over the engine pictures. I will begin by telling you a secret: There are two reasons that we test rocket engines. First, we test rocket engines so as to impress our friends, most of whom are geek engineers like ourselves or people otherwise excited by loud noises made by neato, exotic machines (i.e., lots of NASCAR fans).
Second, we test rocket engines to gather data. Lots and lots of data. Many gigabytes of data. We measure pressures, temperatures, rotational speeds, flow rates, and dynamic vibrations both in terms of acceleration and in terms of strain. As part of the development program, we test in order to prove that what we thought was true when we created and analyzed the design is in fact true with the real hardware. And anywhere where we were mistaken, we need to know as quickly as possible so that we can recalculate our margins of safety and, if necessary, make adjustments to the design for the next development engine to be tested. Testing rocket engines is not cheap, and, of course, neither are the engines themselves, but we need to acquire this thorough, unassailable understanding of the engine long before we would ever imagine strapping a human life to something with such awesome power.
This need for data explains much of the "bloom" of seemingly ten thousand little lines and wires snaking hither and yon all over the engine. Some of these small lines carry pneumatic pressure for actuating valves or providing purges, but lots of them are related to the many, many measurements we’ll be taking during the upcoming hot-fire test series. In fact, these early development engines will be far more heavily instrumented than any engine we would ever fly because, again, their whole purpose to generate useful data (well, that and to impress our friends). What is truly amazing to realize is the fact that every one of these lines has a specific shape and route; every one of these lines is designed, not randomly configured; and every one of these lines represents a documented step in the assembly process.
Now to the big stuff.
The first big assembly news to share was the arrival of the regeneratively-cooled portion of the nozzle (usually called the "regen nozzle" around here). In the pictures above, on the left you can see the assembly technicians preparing to lift the regen nozzle out of its shipping container. On the right is a picture of some preparations being made to the nozzle before the rest of the engine is stacked on top. If you'll remember, the rest of the engine was previously being assembled on a simulator of the nozzle. Interesting little side note: In order for the technician to get into the position you see in the picture on the right, she had to crawl under the elevated assembly platform and stand up inside the nozzle. In the picture below you can see the stack of the engine on the actual regen nozzle.
Now, with the regen nozzle in place, lots more stuff could be added to the assembly. In the collage below, five big items are shown in the process of installation: (1) the liquid oxygen pump discharge duct that carries liquid oxygen from the pump to the main oxidizer valve, (2) the oxidizer turbine discharge duct that contains within it the helium heat exchanger, (3) the turbine cross-over duct that carries hot turbine drive gas from the hydrogen turbopump turbine outlet to the oxidizer turbopump turbine inlet, (4) the main fuel valve, and (5) the fuel pump discharge duct that carries liquid hydrogen from the fuel pump to the main fuel valve.
And that’s just a small sampling of the flurry of assembly activity over the last few weeks. I like the fact that I was able to include pictures showing some of the folks working hard to get this thing put together. They're doing an extraordinary job. The result of all this work is something that is really, truly starting to look like a rocket engine. The pictures below show what you'd see if you took a casual stroll around the engine. Note that the regen nozzle is covered with a black, protective tarp and there are other protective coverings all over the engine, so this isn't quite as gorgeous as it could be, but for us rocket geeks it's awfully compelling.
So, that's where the engine stands. Almost all of the big stuff is installed, with just a couple of notable exceptions. Additionally, lots and lots of little stuff has also been installed. Over the past few weeks, it’s come a long, long way. As a reminder, take a look at this:
But, then, I guess everything eventually comes a long way with a little bit of hard work. Take, for example, how I've been blessed to evolve through the years:
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