December 17, 1991 RELEASE: 91-209 SPACE SCIENCE DOMINATES 1991 NASA ACTIVITIES Major advancements in several fields of space science highlighted the activities of NASA during 1991. The September deployment of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite from the Space Shuttle initiated NASA's Mission to Planet Earth, a 2-decade-long coordinated research program to study the Earth as a complete environmental system. A Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer was launched aboard a Soviet Meteor Satellite in August ensuring that ozone data will continue to be available for several years. In April, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory became the second of NASA's Great Observatories to begin studying the cosmos. The first Great Observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, began to provide an extraordinary challenge to the view of how the Universe was formed. As the end of 1991 neared, the Magellan spacecraft had radar mapped nearly the entire surface of Venus; the Galileo planetary probe passed by the asteroid Gaspra on its way to Jupiter and returned the first close-up image ever taken of an asteroid; and the Ulysses spacecraft set its trajectory for Jupiter on its way to study the poles of the Sun. In other areas, NASA took delivery of the Space Shuttle orbiter Endeavour in April bringing the Shuttle fleet to full strength. Six Shuttle flights were conducted in 1991. Preliminary design of space station Freedom's man-tended configuration was completed in 1991 following a Congressionally- mandated restructuring of the Freedom program. Michael D. Griffin was selected to head the new Office of Exploration which was created to lead NASA's efforts in returning to the Moon permanently and to begin the human exploration of Mars. -more- -2- In aeronautics research, a NASA F-16 XL aircraft attained the first laminar airflow over a large part of an airplane wing while flying at supersonic speeds and NASA's F/A-18 High-Alpha Research Vehicle began flight tests with a special thrust vectoring system that makes it easier to fly at very high angles of attack. A representative full-scale X-30 National Aero-Space Plane wing control surface made of advanced carbon-carbon composites was completed and shipped to Ames-Dryden for structural tests in mid-1991. These subjects and other 1991 NASA activities are covered in the following background release. -end general release- - 3 - NASA MANAGEMENT During the course of 1991, several major management changes were initiated by NASA Administrator Richard H. Truly. A Systems Analysis and Concepts Office was established at NASA Headquarters in May, and James D. Bain was named the Director. The new Office provides independent and non-advocate decision support to the NASA Administrator and his immediate office with focus on policy alternatives, conceptual and formulative stages of new programs and systematic review of the requirements and benefits of new and ongoing programs. In June, Darleen A. Druyun was named the new Assistant Administrator for the Office of Procurement. Truly announced in August the selection of Dr. Michael D. Griffin as Associate Administrator of the newly established Office of Exploration. This Office will lead NASA's efforts to expand exploration beyond Earth orbit into the solar system. In the same month, a new Office of Human Resources and Education was created and Lieutenant General Spence (Sam) M. Armstrong was appointed Associate Administrator. In announcing the appointment, Truly said that Armstrong would be responsible for developing NASA's human resources strategic plan and for furthering NASA's emphasis on national education goals. NASA Deputy Administrator J.R.Thompson Jr. announced his resignation in September and left the agency in November. No replacement has been nominated. In September, an Office of Space Systems Development was established to be responsible for Space Station Freedom, large propulsion systems development including the new national launch system and its new space transportation main engine, other large space flight development and the advanced transportation systems program planning function. The Office of Space Flight retained responsibility for the Space Shuttle, Space Station Freedom/Spacelab operations, expendable launch vehicle operations and upper stages. Arnold D. Aldrich was selected as Associate Administrator for Space Systems Development in October. On Oct. 3, the Office of Management Systems and Facilities was created which consolidated the Offices of Management and Headquarters Operations. Bonita A. Cooper was named the Associate Administrator. - more - - 4 - Also in October, Paul F. Holloway succeeded Richard H. Petersen as Director of the Langley Research Center. Petersen was appointed Associate Administrator for the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology. James T. Rose, Assistant Administrator for Commercial Programs, announced his plans to leave NASA and John G. Mannix was named his successor. Robert L. Crippen was named Director of the Kennedy Space Center replacing Forrest S. McCartney who leaves NASA on Jan. 1, 1992. In December, Leonard S. Nicholson was named Director, Space Shuttle Program replacing Crippen. SPACE SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS Mission To Planet Earth The deployment of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) initiated Mission to Planet Earth by expanding NASA's research in ozone depletion. Whereas previous studies of ozone depletion have been relatively limited in scope or physical scale, UARS data will be used to create three-dimensional maps of ozone and chemicals important in ozone depletion. UARS instruments also will provide scientists with comprehensive data sets on upper atmospheric winds and energy inputs from the Sun into Earth's upper atmosphere. Preliminary data from UARS already has illustrated the link between low levels of ozone and high levels of chlorine monoxide, a key intermediate compound in the chemical chain reaction that leads to ozone depletion. Other ongoing studies sponsored by NASA's Earth Science and Applications Division kept the agency in the forefront of international efforts to understand ozone depletion. Data from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) on the Nimbus-7 satellite indicated the problem continues to be serious. The 1991 ozone hole over Antarctica matched the geographic extent and low levels of the 3 previous years, with a single day low recorded on Oct. 6. A second TOMS instrument was launched aboard a Soviet Meteor satellite on Aug. 15, ensuring that ozone data will continue to be available for several years. In October, a 6-month campaign began using NASA aircraft loaded with instruments to look for signs of an ozone hole over the Arctic. The TOMS instrument also tracked the sulfur dioxide cloud emitted by June's eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. TOMS images showed the cloud circling the Earth from east to west and expanding north and south. A NASA airborne expedition based in the Caribbean investigated the cloud as it spread across the Atlantic. Satellite data indicates that volcanic emissions have altered temperatures in different atmospheric layers. - more - - 5 - Astrophysics NASA astrophysics programs continued to expand knowledge of the cosmos. The Hubble Space Telescope provided a startling challenge to the view of how the Universe was formed. Last summer, HST scientists discovered a forest of intergalactic hydrogen clouds -- often found at the outer reaches of the visible universe -- near the Milky Way. If these clouds are the age this galaxy, e.g.,10-15 billion years old, present theories state these clouds should have collapsed to form galaxies or just have dissipated. Is there an unknown mechanism producing these clouds even today? Astronomers now will have to reexamine theories on the evolution of the Universe. Another HST instrument resolved several hundred stars where ground-based images yielded only a few dozen in the core of the globular cluster 47 Tucanae. The HST image showed evidence that stars may collide, capture each other and gain a new "lease on life" in the process. Observations revealed a unique class of star called blue stragglers, which may evolve from "old age" back to a hotter and brighter "youth." The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (formerly GRO) discovered bursts of gamma radiation coming from outside the narrow plane of stars that make up our galaxy, implying that there are unknown sources of gamma rays relatively near our solar system or from mysterious objects well outside our galaxy. In July, the observatory also detected the most distant and most luminous source of gamma rays ever seen, Quasar 3C279, approximately 7 billion light years from Earth. The quasar emits about 10 million times the energy of the Milky Way galaxy. Other stars likely to become supernovae relatively soon were identified by the Astro-1 mission in an ultraviolet survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighboring galaxy to our own. The success of the Astro-1 mission, a Spacelab mission flown aboard the Space Shuttle, led to the announcement that a second Astro mission would be flown, probably in 1994. In other missions, the NASA Soft X-Ray Telescope was launched aboard the Japanese Solar-A satellite in August. Data from the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) was used to create galactic-scale maps of the distribution of nitrogen, carbon and interstellar dust, enabling astronomers to better understand the heating and cooling processes that take place in the galaxy. Life Sciences In June, the agency's Life Sciences and Flight Systems Divisions oversaw the flight of Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1) aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, in which seven astronauts conducted 9 days of experiments to study the effects of weightlessness on the human body. - more - - 6 - Preliminary findings indicated that previously observed decreases in white bloodcell responsiveness, which helps the body fight infections, could be somewhat counteracted. Other studies indicated that the body's volume of blood decreases by 10 percent in the first 24 hours of space flight and suggested that much of the body's cardiovascular adaptation to space occurs on the launch pad and during launch. Solar System Exploration The Magellan mission to Venus continued its success, completing its primary objective of mapping 70 percent of the Venusian surface more than a month ahead of schedule. As the end of 1991 neared, Magellan had mapped 93.5 percent of the planet. The geological data returned by Magellan included evidence of volcanic activity, some of which might be quite recent, and images of the longest channel in the solar system, a 4,200- mile long chasm across the plains of Venus. NASA's other planetary probes continued on their voyages. Galileo passed by the asteroid Gaspra on its way toward Jupiter and returned the first close-up picture ever taken of an asteroid. A third in a series of attempts to free the spacecraft's high-gain antenna by cooling the antenna tower and "walking" the pins free, was conducted in December. Other NASA research illuminated our planet's past. Work by a NASA-led team indicates that a series of sinkholes in the northwestern corner of the Mexican state of Yucatan is the impact crater of an asteroid that may have caused the extinction of dinosaurs about 65 million years ago. Space Physics The year began with a successful series of space physics experiments that lit up the night sky over North America and continued with summer releases over the Caribbean. Chemical releases from the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) created electrically charged clouds that traced lines of the Earth's magnetic field, allowing scientists to study the interaction of energetic particles with the magnetic field. The CRRES releases gave scientists a better understanding of how solar particles, which continually stream toward the Earth, can disrupt terrestrial power and communications systems. Ulysses, on its way to study the Sun's poles a joint mission with the ESA, set its trajectory for Jupiter where it will investigate the planet's magnetic field and interaction with the solar wind. When Ulysses passed behind the Sun relative to Earth in August, scientists used radio signals from the spacecraft to investigate the outer atmosphere of the Sun. - more - - 7 - Ground-based Research Complementing NASA's flight programs are the research efforts conducted here on Earth. NASA's space science program involves more than 5,000 scientists at 250 U.S. academic institutions, 3,500 scientists at NASA centers and non-academic institutions, more than 700 U.S. companies and more than 250 international cooperation agreements with approximately 120 foreign institutions. Included in this diverse program are suborbital flights of sounding rockets and balloons supporting research in the Earth sciences, space physics and astrophysics. In 1991, NASA launched 24 sounding rockets and 16 research balloons, with two more balloons scheduled for launch in late December. SPACE FLIGHT Space Shuttle NASA's fleet of reusable space planes returned to full strength in 1991 when the Space Shuttle program took delivery of Endeavour on April 25 in a ceremony at Rockwell's facility in Palmdale, Calif. NASA's newest orbiter is capable of flying extended duration missions and has significant safety enhancements such as redundant nose wheel steering and a drag chute system. Endeavour's first flight remains on target for May 1992. Also added to the Shuttle program was a new Orbiter Processing Facility at KSC, which opened in September, giving NASA the ability to process three orbiters at the same time. In 1991, NASA maintained its safety first position when it came to flying the Shuttle. When an issue came up with cracks in the external tank door hinge mechanism on the Shuttle Discovery, Shuttle managers postponed its flight until the problem was fully understood and corrective measures had been taken. There were seven Shuttle flights planned for 1991. Due to the external tank door mechanism investigation, one flight, STS-42 (IML) was pushed into January 1992. The remaining six flights flew near or before their scheduled launch dates. Each of the missions flown in 1991 had unique qualities and demonstrated the remarkable versatility of the Space Shuttle. o STS-37/Gamma Ray Observatory (4/5/91 to 4/11/91) - The first mission flown in 1991 included both a planned and unplanned extravehicular activity. The unplanned EVA took place to help with the deployment of GRO's high gain antenna. Also demonstrated during the first planned EVA in 5 years were mobility aids which will be used on Space Station Freedom. - more - - 8 - o STS-39/Air Force Payload-675 (4/28/91 to 5/6/91) - One of the most complicated missions ever flown, Discovery performed dozens of maneuvers, deploying canisters from the cargo bay, releasing and retrieving a payload with the RMS, all of which allowed the Department of Defense to gather important plume observation data and information for the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization. o STS-40/Spacelab Life Sciences (6/5/91 to 6/14/91) - The first mission since Skylab to do intensive investigations into the effects of weightlessness on humans. Data learned from this flight will be used in NASA's planning for longer Shuttle missions set for 1992 and in the planning of Space Station Freedom. o STS-43/Tracking And Data Relay Satellite-E (8/2/91 to 8/11/91) - This flight set a record as the heaviest mission flown to date with a liftoff weight of Atlantis at 253,000 pounds. A TDRS satellite was deployed, keeping the network which supports Shuttle missions and other spacecraft, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, at full operational capability. o STS-48/Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (9/12/91 to 9/18/91) - With the shuffling of missions that happened in the early part of the year, the Shuttle team launched the STS- 48/UARS mission in September - about 6 weeks earlier than the original November commitment date. o STS-44/Defense Support Program (11/24/91 to 12/1/91) - A dedicated mission for the Department of Defense to gather data for their programs finished off the year. Mission 44 also continued NASA's research into the effects of weightlessness on humans in preparation for 13-day Extended Duration Orbiter missions planned for 1992. The mission, originally planned for 10 days, was shortened when an inertial measurement unit failed on the 6th day of the mission. Space Shuttle Atlantis landed safely at the Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, Calif., the next day. In 1991, significant facility construction activities continued at the Yellow Creek Facility, in Iuka Miss., in support of planned Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) production. Successful continuous-mix propellant tests were conducted at Aerojet's pilot plant in Calif., and successful 48" motor firings involving potential ASRM nozzle materials were performed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Ala. At the Stennis Space Center, environmental permits were obtained from the state of Mississippi for future testing of ASRMs at that facility. - more - - 9 - Flight Systems In April, the National Space Council directed NASA and the Department of Defense to jointly develop and fund a new launch system to meet civil and national space requirements for the 21st century. This new family of unmanned, but man-rateable vehicles, will employ a NASA-developed Space Transportation Main Engine as a core propulsion element for vehicles capable of boosting 50,000 to 100,000 pound payloads into low Earth orbit There were two expendable launches in 1991, an Atlas-E vehicle on May 14 from Vandenberg AFB to place a NOAA meteorological satellite into polar orbit and the June 29 launch from Vandenberg AFB of a USAF radiation experiment satellite on a Scout vehicle, the 114th launch of the NASA Scout vehicle. In March, NASA announced selection of Orbital Sciences Corp. for Pegasus commercial launch services for as many as 10 NASA Explorer satellites, and the Italian Space Agency officially handed their Tethered Satellite System over to NASA in November for prelaunch processing. The tethered satellite is scheduled for launch on STS-46 next September aboard Atlantis. SPACE SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT Space Station Freedom Stability and progress marked NASA's efforts to establish the international permanently manned space station, Freedom. Preliminary design of Freedom's man-tended configuration was completed in 1991, and construction and testing of flight-like hardware at NASA centers and contractor facilities proceeded on schedule for a first element launch in November 1995. A Congressionally-mandated restructuring of the Freedom program was completed in the spring of 1991. A 1991 fiscal year budget shortfall of more than $550 million along with Congressional direction to significantly reduce out-year spending by nearly $6 billion prompted NASA to start the restructuring of the Freedom program in late 1990. Freedom's new design is less expensive, smaller, easier to assemble in orbit and requires fewer Shuttle flights to build. Major new features of the redesigned station include shorter modules that can be launched fully outfitted and a pre-integrated truss structure that is assembled and verified on the ground, thus significantly reducing on-orbit extravehicular activity. The program completed a major milestone in November with the preliminary design review of the man-tended configuration. - more - - 10 - The man-tended phase begins once the U.S. laboratory module has been placed on orbit permitting human crews to work inside the research module while the Shuttle is docked nearby. Milestones for the first element launch, man-tended phase and permanently manned phase remained on target for November 1995, December 1996 and September 1999, respectively. The Italian Space Agency joined the international partnership developing Space Station Freedom by signing a memorandum of understanding with NASA to provide two mini logistics modules to the orbiting workshop. The two pressurized modules will be used to carry payloads and resupply items to the station and return items to Earth. The agreement also calls for the two agencies to work toward expanding the relationship to include provisions for a mini laboratory for the station. Astronauts on the STS-37 Space Shuttle mission donned spacesuits for the first extravehicular activity in 5 years and tested equipment that will help astronauts traverse Space Station Freedom's 350-foot long truss. Astronauts Jerry Ross and Jay Apt spent 6 and 1/2 hours testing various mobility carts which ran along a special rail installed in Atlantis' 60-foot long cargo bay. At the Johnson Space Center, construction of the Space Station Control Center, which will house the mission controllers, has been completed and underfloor power and data trays are being installed. Integrated simulation training will begin in the facility in June 1995. Construction of the Space Station Training Facility was completed in July, and the first part-task trainer has been delivered. The facility will be ready for training simulations in March 1995. At the Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, where Freedom's power generation and distribution system is being developed, about half of the solar cells needed to generate the 18.75 kilowatts for the man-tended configuration have been built. Testing also has begun on an engineering model of the battery orbital replacement unit. Batteries will furnish power to the station during the 30- minutes of each 90-minute orbit when the Earth blocks the Sun's rays from reaching Freedom's solar arrays. At the Marshall Space Flight Center, volunteers have been helping engineers develop the water recycling system for Freedom. In a laboratory that simulates the environmental control system on the space station, 50 volunteers have been exercising, cooking meals, washing clothes and showering - all to donate the kinds of waste water Freedom's crew will produce. Taste tests of the recycled water also have been conducted and testers say the space station water is as good as or better than tap water. Also at MSFC, a full-sized pressurized module has been constructed to flight specifications, and a series of pressure tests has been completed. - more - - 11 - The common hatch to be used on both the module-connecting "nodes" and pressurized modules has been built and tested. NASA's Kennedy Space Center broke ground in April on a 457,000 square foot processing facility for prelaunch checkout of Freedom's flight hardware and experiments. The facility is proceeding on schedule for occupancy in 1994. EXPLORATION NASA made significant progress this year both in reorganizing the Space Exploration Initiative effort to implement recommendations of a blue ribbon panel and in developing a near- term exploration program. In February, a search was launched for an Associate Administrator to head the newly created Office of Exploration announced last December by Administrator Truly as an early response to the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on the Future of the U.S. Space Program (Augustine Committee). Truly announced in August the selection of Michael D. Griffin to fill the post and indicated "[Griffin] brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and dedication that will be instrumental in leading NASA's efforts to expand exploration beyond Earth orbit into the solar system." Griffin arrived at NASA in October and by December, the Office of Exploration had defined a plan for an initial set of missions to move aggressively forward in the near-term toward the ultimate objectives of the President's Space Exploration Initiative -- to return to the Moon permanently and to begin the human exploration of Mars. These early automated missions will be relatively low-cost and will quickly increase scientific and technological knowledge in areas necessary to make long-range decisions about Moon and Mars activities, thus decreasing the cost and risk of the overall exploration program. Precursor missions include projects to obtain lunar terrain, resource and gravity maps, as well as a small robotic lander to aid in lunar landing site preparation and in the longer term for resupply purposes. AERONAUTICS AND SPACE TECHNOLOGY Aeronautics Late in the year, a NASA F-16 XL aircraft attained the first laminar (smooth) airflow over a large part of an airplane wing at supersonic speeds. The plane used a suction device to remove turbulent air moving over a test section on its upper wing surface, causing a smoother flow of air. Because reducing such turbulence saves fuel, the test was an important step toward more efficient future high-speed civil transports. - more - - 12 - Improved air safety was a major area of aeronautics research in 1991. An Ames-Dryden study showed that multi-engine planes with a special flight control system can land safely using just their engines if the hydraulic controls fail. The new research-only computer software turns the pilot's stick inputs into throttle commands. It automatically programs the engines to make the aircraft turn, climb, descend and land safely. A NASA flight test program proved that new sensors can warn airline pilots of the potentially dangerous weather phenomenon called windshear. A NASA Boeing 737 based at Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., was equipped with microwave radar and infrared devices that detect "microbursts" -- downdrafts of air that rush toward the ground. The plane spent 2 weeks in the Orlando, Fla., area in June checking the sensors by flying around and through such storms. A later trip to the Denver area in July let researchers penetrate wind gust fronts and make many storm measurements with the instruments, though the expected microbursts did not occur. In the high-performance aircraft arena, NASA's F/A-18 High- Alpha Research Vehicle began flight tests with a special thrust vectoring system that makes it easier to fly at very high angles of attack, or "alpha." The plane has three spoon-shaped paddles around each of its two engine exhaust nozzles that deflect the thrust to help maneuver and stabilize the aircraft. The system is expected to give the F/A-18 better control in forward flight at nose-high angles up to 70 degrees. Another F/A-18 became the first full-size airplane to face the winds inside the world's largest wind tunnel in June. Twelve weeks of tests were run on the aircraft in the 80- by 120-foot test section of the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex at NASA's Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif. The tunnel work, like the F/A-18 high-alpha flights, should help engineers understand how a modern fighter flies at high angles of attack and answer aerodynamic questions unique to the twin-tailed F/A-18. The unique X-29 made the last flight in its planned high-alpha research program on Sept. 30. The X-29's forward-swept wings gave pilots excellent control response at angles of attack up to 45 degrees. The aircraft also flew at up to 67 degrees in handling and control studies. The 374 flights by the two X-29s during 1984-91 -- most for any "X-plane" -- also proved that forward-swept wings perform at least as well as standard rear-swept wings on fighter- type planes that fly at the speed of sound to just over Mach 1. A revolutionary paint that measures aerodynamic surface pressures across large areas made its first successful test flight this year on a NASA F-104 aircraft. The light pink paint becomes luminescent in ultraviolet wavelengths. The intensity of the light varies according to the pressure it receives as the plane flies through the air. The easily-applied paint could - more - - 13 - someday replace the wires, tubing and sensors that engineers traditionally use to get data on the strength of an aircraft's wings and tail. X-30 National Aero-Space Plane The X-30 National Aero-Space Plane (NASP), a joint NASA/Department of Defense effort to develop a single-stage-to- orbit flight research vehicle, came closer to reality. A representative full-scale NASP wing control surface made of advanced carbon-carbon composites was completed and shipped to Ames-Dryden for structural tests in mid-1991. Design and building of this major flight-weight part followed years of technology development. The non-metallic carbon-carbon material is lighter than most metals and is stronger at the sustained high temperatures the X-30 will encounter. Space Technology In 1991, NASA revealed the rich harvest of data from the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), a schoolbus-sized science and technology satellite that flew in Earth orbit from April 1984 to January 1990. LDEF exposed a set of materials to the space environment and gathered information on radiation, space debris, meteoroids and life sciences. Among the findings: o LDEF was the first satellite to detect beta meteoroids, tiny particles speeded up by solar radiation. It also found beryllium-7, the first time a radioactive isotope had collected on an orbiting spacecraft; o The in-orbit performance of protective paints varied dramatically and many protective thermal blankets were partly or completely eroded away; o Most of LDEF's biological specimens survived after their exposure to space radiation. Space-exposed seeds produced plants with variegated leaves and flower buds; some leaf parts were a normal green, but others totally lacked chlorophyll. NASA's In-Space Technology Experiments Program (IN-STEP) passed a major milestone as its first flight hardware flew on two successive Shuttle missions. The Tank Pressure Control Experiment, a test that mixed fluids to regulate pressure in cryogenic storage tanks, rode aboard STS-43. The STS-48 Middeck 0-gravity Dynamics Experiment studied aspects of mechanical and fluid action vital to future space structures such as Space Station Freedom. IN-STEP brings NASA, the aerospace community and academia together to research potentially valuable space technologies using small, relatively inexpensive payloads. Looking toward the day when humans will return to the Moon and then go onto Mars, scuba divers at Ames Research Center exercised on a unique underwater treadmill that simulated various gravity fields. The tests studied - more - - 14 - basic questions of human movement and energy consumption in the reduced gravity of the Moon, Mars and other planetary bodies. By changing the number and placement of weights on the divers' bodies, researchers imitated five different gravity conditions. NASA also tested a small, 52-pound robotic vehicle dubbed "Rocky III" on a simulated Martian terrain as part of studies looking at low-cost approaches to Mars exploration. The mini- rover, developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., successfully crossed rough ground in two tests south of Death Valley. It also rambled across a Mojave Desert lava field like those scientists believe are on the Martian surface. If they prove practical, mini-rovers and even smaller micro-rovers (under 11 pounds) could carry cameras, seismometers and tiny atmospheric and soil sensors on less costly missions to the Red Planet. The arcjet thrusters selected for AT&T's Telstar 4 communications satellites in 1991 were a product of research started at NASA's Lewis Research Center in 1983. Arcjets use an electrical arc to heat decomposed hydrazine propellant to very high levels, producing higher thrust per pound of rocket fuel than chemical and other electrically-boosted thrusters. The fuel savings translates into an increase in a satellite's on-orbit lifetime, larger payload weight or a lower payload mass that can ride to orbit on a less powerful launch vehicle. NASA has begun research on a carbon molecule shaped like a geodesic dome as a fuel for advanced rocket engines. The Carbon 60 molecules have qualities that reduce the energy needed to ionize propellant in ion engines, which typically use less fuel than chemical thrusters. The "Grand Challenges" in computer science are the focus of a new federal research effort called the High-Performance Computing and Communications Program, in which NASA is a major player. The goal is to extend U.S. leadership in state-of-the- art computers and apply that technology to critical national scientific issues. NASA will coordinate software and algorithm research among the eight federal agencies involved. NASA's part of the program also will try to improve Earth and space science computer models, simulations of system interactions in aerospace vehicles and the capabilities of robotic space explorers. COMMERCIAL PROGRAMS Commercial Use of Space As a result of considerable research and development requirements in advanced telecommunications technology in 1991, NASA initiated a new program in the Office of Commercial Programs to stimulate relevant industry - more - - 15 - activity in this area. The effort is focused on two primary thrusts -- the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite experiments program and communications research and development. In support of this initiative, two new Centers for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS) were selected through a competitive process to focus on the commercialization of advanced satellite communications and other space-based telecommunications technologies. In an unrelated action, NASA and Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., mutually agreed to discontinue the university's Center for Space Processing of Engineering Materials due to a decline in research by large metals fabricators and producers. Late in January, the University of Tennessee-Calspan's Center for Space Transportation and Applied Research (CSTAR), selected three industrial firms for the Commercial Experiment Transporter (COMET), a program inaugurated to provide low-cost, recoverable access to space for microgravity experiments and to stimulate growth in U.S. commercial space business. The first COMET mission is scheduled for launch in September 1992 from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va., with retrieval of the recovery system containing six experiments a month later in the Great Salt Lake Desert. The three experiments aboard the service module will remain in orbit and continue to be monitored from the Commercial Payload Operations Center in Houston for at least 100 days. Consort 4, a commercial suborbital sounding rocket carrying nine materials processing and biotechnology experiments, was successfully launched on Nov. 16 from White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), N.M., providing the payload with 7 minutes of microgravity. In November, EER Systems Corp., Vienna, Va., was selected by the University of Alabama in Huntsville's Consortium for Materials Development in Space (UAH CMDS) to provide launch vehicle and related services for the next series of Consort suborbital missions. Using its Starfire launch vehicle, EER will continue using its Starfire rocket to launch Consort flights from WSMR. Joust 1, also sponsored by UAH CMDS, was launched on June 18. However, about 15 seconds after liftoff from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., the Prospector sounding rocket deviated from its planned trajectory and was destroyed by range safety about 25 seconds into the flight. - more - - 16 - Commercial experiments conducted aboard the Space Shuttle in 1991 included: * Protein Crystal Growth (PCG), an experiment package provided by the Center for Macromolecular Crystallography, a NASA CCDS located at the University of Alabama-Birmingham (STS-37, STS-43 and STS-48). * BioServe ITA Materials Dispersion Apparatus (BIMDA), a payload jointly developed by the University of Colorado-Boulder's BioServe Space Technologies CCDS and Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc., Exton, Pa. (STS-37 and STS-43). * Consortium for Materials Development in Space Complex Autonomous Payload (CONCAP), a Getaway Special experiment payload of mixed materials science, sponsored by the UAH CMDS (STS-40). * Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP), flown for the Battelle Advanced Materials CCDS, Columbus, Ohio (STS-43 and STS-48). * Electronic Still Photography Test, an experiment based on a Technical Exchange Agreement between NASA and Autometric, Inc., Alexandria, Va., signed earlier in the year, to assess the utility of the Johnson Space Center-developed Electronic Still Camera for potential commercial applications. Technology Utilization In an effort to upgrade and revitalize the agency's technology transfer network, NASA conducted an open competition to establish six new Regional Technology Transfer Centers (RTTC). The RTTCs, which replace the NASA-sponsored Industrial Applications Centers, are: the Center for Technology Commercialization, Westborough, Mass. (northeast); the University of Pittsburgh (mid-Atlantic); Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio (midwest); the University of Florida, Alachua (southeast); Texas A&M University, College Station (mid- continent); and the University of Southern California, Los Angeles (far west). It is anticipated that the restructuring to a regional approach will align the centers closer to the needs of particular industries, local business and entrepreneurs. The National Technology Transfer Center (NTTC) emerged from the planning stage into a concept that focuses on the national issues and needs of the federal technology transfer process. Under the mutual leadership of NASA and the Wheeling Jesuit College, W.Va., the NTTC's mission is to concentrate on training individuals from government and industry on the various aspects of the technology transfer program; establishing a national - more - - 17 - "gateway" for potential users to make initial contact with the federal technology transfer network; and providing a national forum for advocating the availability and benefits of federally generated technology to the private sector. The second national technology transfer conference and exposition, TECHNOLOGY 2001, took place Dec. 3-5 at the San Jose Convention Center in Calif., with NASA Administrator Richard H. Truly featured as the keynote speaker. Sponsored by NASA, "NASA Tech Briefs" magazine and the Technology Utilization Foundation, the conference featured 225 exhibits from all nine NASA field centers, other government agencies, universities, government research centers and a diverse array of high-tech companies. Small Business Innovation Research In January, the Small Business Innovation Research Division selected 39 research proposals for negotiation of Phase II contract awards in NASA,s SBIR program. Included were 36 small, high technology firms located in 17 states. The selection of 301 research proposals for negotiation of Phase I contracts in the 1991 SBIR program was announced in November. Proposals selected were submitted by 243 small, high- tech firms located in 34 states. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Highlights of NASA's international cooperative activities in 1991 included: o NASA signed an agreement on Dec. 6 with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) under which ASI will design and develop two Mini Pressurized Logistics Modules for Space Station Freedom. o The Federal Republic of Germany contributed one of four instruments, COMPTEL, and key portions of a second instrument, EGRET, for the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. o Under the 1987 civil space agreement, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to exchange flights by an astronaut and a cosmonaut on Mir and the Space Shuttle, increase cooperation in monitoring the global environment from space and initiate annual space consultations. The agreement was announced at the Bush-Gorbachev Moscow Summit, July 30-31. o The U.S. Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer was launched on the Soviet Meteor-3 spacecraft on Aug. 15, the first flight of an active U.S. scientific instrument on a Soviet satellite. - more - - 18 - o NASA, NOAA and the Canadian Space Agency agreed on cooperation in a 5-year RADARSAT Earth observation satellite mission. o NASA's Soft X-ray Telescope, one of four instruments on the Japanese Solar-A spacecraft, was launched on Aug. 30 from Japan's Kagoshima Space Center. o In July, U.S. and Spanish officials extended their agreement on use of Spanish runways as emergency Space Shuttle landing sites. In December, NASA and the Spanish Space Agency signed an umbrella agreement on cooperation in space science and technology. o Vice President Dan Quayle and Argentine President Carlos Menem signed an agreement in August for cooperation in the civil uses of space, with special emphasis on Earth and space sciences. During the same ceremony, NASA and Argentina concluded an agreement to cooperate in a solar physics and astrophysics satellite mission, Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas-B (SAC-B). SAC-B will be the first joint spacecraft mission undertaken by NASA and a Latin American country. o Dr. Franco Malerba was named Prime Payload Specialist and Dr. Umberto Guidoni Backup Payload Specialist for the Tethered Satellite System (TSS-l) mission, scheduled for flight aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis next summer. Dr. Malerba will be the first Italian to fly in space. o Dr. Dirk D. Frimout was named as Payload Specialist for the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS-l) Spacelab mission scheduled for flight in early 1992. Dr. Frimout will be the first Belgian to fly in space. SPACE COMMUNICATIONS The fifth Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-5) was launched in August aboard STS-43 . The on-orbit checkout of the spacecraft was highly successful and completed in record time. There are three other TDRSs in the orbital constellation. TDRS-5 was positioned at 174 degrees west longitude, replacing TDRS-3 which was moved to 62 degrees west longitude, becoming an on- orbit emergency backup. TDRS-4 and TDRS-1 remained at 41 degrees and 171 degrees west, respectively. The on-orbit Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) constellation, linked to the ground by the White Sands Ground Terminal, N. M., provided continuous communications coverage to network customers for over 85 percent of each orbit. The TDRSS accomplished ambitious achievements by performing at a proficiency in excess of 99.8 percent during - more - - 19 - the period of greatest utilization. The increased frequency of flights of the Space Shuttle, Gamma Ray Observatory, Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite and the Hubble Space Telescope were the major contributors to this heavy workload. The TDRSS has relayed more than 2 million minutes of data to the ground. Since late 1983, every Space Shuttle mission has required the TDRSS capabilities. To meet the evolving needs for satellite tracking and communications through the first decade of the 21st Century, a second generation TDRSS program was initiated. Participating contractors completed preliminary design studies, which are now under review. The second generation TDRSS is required to continue space tracking services of the first generation TDRSS as they reach their end of life. EDUCATION President Bush joined NASA Administrator Truly for a back-to- school special, "Launching the School Year with President Bush," which was broadcast live Sept. 17 on NASA Select TV. President Bush spoke with students and teachers about America 2000 and the national education goals. Third and fourth grade students gathered in Washington, D.C. and La Porte, Texas, and asked the President questions. The students also participated in a unique math and science lesson led by Astronauts Charlie Bolden in Washington and Tammy Jernigan in La Porte, as well as aerospace education specialist Lisa McLeod. Making up the audience at NASA Headquarters were 17 national student winners of the NASA/National Science Teachers Association's Space Science Student Involvement Program. Expanding NASA's National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, 26 Space Grant State Consortia were selected for Program Grants or Capability Enhancement Grants under Phase II of the program bringing the total number of states participating to 46 plus the District of Columbia. NASA's Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif., converted a portion of a supersonic wind tunnel into a unique aerospace education facility designed to capture young people's interest in math, science and technology. The Ames "Aerospace Encounter" opened November 4 to students in grades 4-6. The learning center features numerous activity stations that explain a variety of aerospace concepts. During Space Shuttle Endeavour's April rollout ceremony, Administrator Truly announced the creation of the NASA Endeavour Teacher Fellowship - more - - 20 - Program with the generous gifts donated to NASA by the public for the replacement orbiter. The program, targeted for implementation in FY 1993, will award scholarships to American undergraduates studying to be teachers. Nickelodeon, NASA and the Astronauts Memorial Foundation launched a new educational television series called "Launch Box -- Your TV Connection to Outer Space." The 14 half-hour programs are created by teachers for classroom use and are broadcast commercial-free on Nickelodeon. The first episode, "The Spectacular Spacesuit" debuted May 9 to coincide with the Astronaut Memorial dedication. In September, USA Today, in cooperation with NASA and the National Association of Elementary School Principals, launched "Visions of Exploration." The multi-media educational program is designed to bring the spirit of exploration into the classroom in 1992, the International Space Year, by motivating elementary and middle school students to learn about past and present explorers. The Discovery Channel, a television partner, broadcasts corresponding documentaries relating to Vision's themes. NASA has adopted the National Education Goals set by the President and the Governors as fundamental guidelines for developing and conducting education programs. As a result, a complementary 10-year plan is being developed. SAFETY AND MISSION QUALITY The Office of Safety and Mission Quality (SMQ) made significant contributions to the successful operation of this year's Space Shuttle and expendable launch vehicle missions. SMQ provided management support including independent safety oversight, technical assessments, safety assurance engineering, policy development, risk assessment and mishap investigations. SMQ continued its efforts towards controlling major causes or sources of fatalities, lost time disabilities and overall employee compensation costs. These efforts continue to result in lower incident rates in NASA activities. Safety 2000, a strategic long-range safety plan, was implemented to provide for the future safety needs during NASA mission operations. Using the concepts of Total Quality Management (TQM), the primary goal of the plan is to standardize NASA safety processes to achieve a reduction in mishaps and ensure the safety of personnel and systems performing NASA operations. A new NASA Safety Training Center (NSTC) was established at the Johnson Space Center. The NSTC will provide high-quality, cost- effective - more - - 21 - training to employees with the goal of retaining a pool of qualified safety professionals capable of conducting NASA operations in the safest possible manner. A formal NASA metric policy was approved and a Metric Transition Plan developed requiring the use of the metric system. Plans call for the end of 1995 as the target date for completing the initiatives necessary to establish a full, internal metric capability. Grumman Technical Services Division, Titusville, Fla., and Thiokol Space Operations, Brigham City, Utah, were announced as the winners of the 1991 George M. Low Trophy at a special ceremony at the Eight Annual NASA/Contractors Conference and National Symposium on Quality and Productivity held in Houston. The trophy recognizes NASA prime contractors, subcontractors and suppliers for outstanding achievement in quality and productivity improvement and TQM. Over 1,000 international, government, industry , academic and contractor representatives from over 400 organizations attended the Eight Annual NASA/Contractors Conference and National Symposium on Quality and Productivity. The event, televised to hundreds of other participants conducting concurrent conferences in Colorado and Maryland, provided a forum where ideas and strategies were discussed to implement TQM, improve products and services, develop community partnerships and improve America's educational system . An Engineering Management Council was established to provide better focus on engineering standards and practices and system engineering. The new organization is chaired by the NASA Deputy Administrator and composed of Chief Engineers and Heads of SMQ at each NASA center. FY 1992 NASA Appropriations The FY 1992 VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Appropriations Bill cleared Congress on October 3 and was signed by President Bush on October 28. NASA's funding was set at $14.353 billion, a 3 percent increase over 1991 but $1.8 billion less than the President's request of $15.754 billion. The future of the Space Station Freedom program was extensively debated in both houses of Congress during consideration of the bill. The House Appropriations Subcommittee proposed that all funding for the station be deleted, but full funding of $2.029 billion was restored on the House floor. Full funding for Freedom survived a floor fight in the Senate as well. Funding for Space Science and Applications in FY 1992 is increased 10 percent above the FY 1991 level. Funding for the major science projects, - more - - 22 - including the Earth Observing System, the Mars Observer, the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility and the CRAF and Cassini missions has been included. Funding to start development of Lifesat, the reusable biosatellite for which $15 million was requested in FY 1992, was deleted. Significant reductions were made in the National Aero-Space Plane program, the National Launch System and Space Shuttle Operations. Additional funding above the request was provided for the the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor program in an effort to preserve its scheduled availability for use in Space Station Freedom assembly. In a statement following passage of the bill in Congress, NASA Administrator Richard H. Truly said the agency has mixed feelings about the bill. He said people in NASA were tremendously grateful to the many members on both sides of the aisle who worked very hard on NASA's behalf and particularly pleased with Space Station Freedom funding and the very significant percentage increase for space science, but were disappointed that, for the first time in many years, the total NASA appropriations does not keep up with inflation. - end background release -