NASA scientists developing the next generation of
exploration vehicles and heat shields for NASA's Orion Crew
Exploration Vehicle experienced "Christmas in July" when
they uncrated the heat shields used on the Apollo missions
some 35 years ago. These shields now are being analyzed to
help with the development and engineering process.
Ethiraj
Venkatapathy of NASA Ames, Betsy Pugel of NASA Goddard and
Hanna Szczepanowska of the National Air and Space Museum
Conservator,
examine the 1966 Apollo test vehicle heat
shield.
Teams of NASA scientists and engineers working on the
Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle Thermal Protection System
Advanced Development Project went to the Smithsonian
Institution's National Air and Space Museum Garber Facility
in Suitland, Md., July 31 through Aug. 1, 2008. The Garber
Facility curators and conservators collect, preserve and
restore all things air and space. This includes airplanes,
spacecraft, and spacesuits.
The Orion teams included
members from both NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Md., and NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett
Field, Calif.
"We started working together at the
end of June to track down any Apollo-era heat shields that
they had in storage," said Elizabeth (Betsy) Pugel of the
Detector Systems Branch at NASA Goddard. "We located one and
opened it. It was like a nerd Christmas for us!"
The
Orion team was interested in the archived heat shield
material because it included an Apollo heat shield that flew
into Low Earth Orbit and returned to Earth on August 26,
1966.
"We are examining the design of the carrier
structure (the metal structure that connects the heat shield
to the vessel that contains the astronauts) and the heat
shield material’s thermal response," Pugel said.
"The Smithsonian has been generous in their providing large
pieces of the heat shield that we will be doing destructive
and non-destructive testing on during the months before
Orion’s Preliminary Design Review," said Matthew Gasch, a
research scientist at NASA Ames. "This information will
further our confidence in our design and materials
development."
Orion will be capable of carrying crew
and cargo to the space station. It will be able to
rendezvous with a lunar landing module and an Earth
departure stage in low-Earth orbit to carry crews to the
moon and, one day, to Mars-bound vehicles assembled in
low-Earth orbit.
Orion will be the Earth entry
vehicle for lunar and Mars returns. Orion’s design will
borrow its shape from the capsules of the past, but takes
advantage of 21st century technology in computers,
electronics, life support, propulsion and heat protection
systems.
NASA - Oct 7, 2008
