By Lynn Corzine
Science Writer
The F-15 Advanced Control Technology for Integrated Vehicles (ACTIVE) aircraft recently achieved its first supersonic yaw vectoring flight here at Dryden.
ACTIVE is a joint NASA, U.S. Air Force, McDonnell Douglas Aerospace (MDA) and Pratt & Whitney (P&W) program. The team will assess performance and technology benefits during flight test operations. Current plans call for approximately 60 flights totaling 100 hours.
"Reaching this milestone is very rewarding. We hope to set some more records before we're through," stated Roger W. Bursey, P&W's pitch-yaw balance beam nozzle (PYBBN) program manager.
A pair of P&W PYBBNs vectored the thrust for the MDA manufactured F-15 research aircraft. Yaw is side-to-side, pitch is up and down. Power to reach supersonic speeds was provided by two high-performance F100-PW-229 engines that were modified with multi-directional thrust vectoring nozzles.
The project manager for Dryden, Don Gatlin, said that "this program is an example of government and industry cooperating to bring an important technology to maturity." Benefits derived from thrust vectoring for future aircraft include extended range, increased maneuverability, reduced operating cost and improved safety.
For NASA's flight research, each nozzle is mounted to one of the F-15 ACTIVE's two F100-PW-229 engines, which have modified fan duct cases to provide the additional strength required to withstand the vectoring forces. Installation of the nozzles also required modifications to the aircraft's rear fuselage and main engine mounts.
The new concept should lead to significant increases in performance of both civil and military aircraft flying at subsonic and supersonic speeds. Another important feature is the nozzles' production-oriented design, which would require minimal changes to be incorporated into current or future aircraft.
An axisymmetric or round nozzle, the PYBBN provides up to plus or minus 20 degrees vectoring in any direction. The balanced beam concept, which has been proven in service in F100 convergent- divergent exhaust nozzles, minimizes control actuation loads and reduces the need for heavy, reinforced structures.
The nozzle features a fail-safe dual redundant actuation system, making it compatible with single-engine, as well as twin-engine, applications. The PW-229 with a similar pitch-yaw vectoring nozzle has been selected for integration into a modified F-16D in the U.S. Air Force's Variable-stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft (VISTA) program.
P&W's Government Engines & Space Propulsion Unit designs, develops, tests and supports military jet engines and space propulsion systems.
By Gray Creech
Science Writer
A new addition to the Dryden fleet will be the X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft, scheduled to arrive in late May. The X-36 is a small, remotely-piloted jet built by McDonnell Douglas and designed to fly without the traditional tail surfaces common on most aircraft. Two 28 percent scale vehicles will be put through fighter aircraft maneuvers during the scheduled 25-flight program, in an effort to gather data on the performance characteristics, especially agility, of tailless, fighter-type aircraft. The goal of the project is to offer enhanced technologies to improve the maneuverability and survivability of future fighter aircraft.
The lack of both the vertical and horizontal tails on the X-36 greatly enhances the stealthy characteristics of the airplane, and holds promise for greater agility than is currently available in existing fighter aircraft. The design reduces weight and drag of the aircraft, and will explore new flight control technologies. Initially, the X-36 will use a single-channel digital fly-by-wire control system originally developed by NASA. The ailerons will split to provide yaw control, and will raise and lower in a normal fashion to provide roll control.
The X-36 is 18 feet long with a 10 foot wingspan, is 3 feet high, and weighs 1,270 pounds. The aircraft is powered by a Williams Research F112 turbofan engine that provides 700 pounds of thrust. The aircraft will be remotely controlled by a pilot in a ground station cockpit, complete with a head-up display (HUD). The pilot- in-the-loop approach eliminates the need for expensive and complex autonomous flight control systems.
McDonnell Douglas first proposed a tailless research aircraft to NASA in 1989. Following wind-tunnel tests to develop the technical breakthroughs required to achieve agile tailless flight, a cooperative agreement was signed for the X-36. McDonnell Douglas began fabrication of the two aircraft in 1994 following joint funding of the project under a roughly 50/50 cost-sharing arrangement. NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., led the development of critical technologies. Dryden's role will be flight preparation and testing, data acquisition and analysis. The combined program cost for the development, fabrication, and flight testing of the two aircraft will be approximately $17 million.
Dryden shared it's experience on the Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology (HiMAT) program with Ames, helping with the decision to avoid installing redundant flight control systems, which may result in the X-36 cost being one-fourth that of HiMAT. This results in a higher flight-test risk, but the risk problem is addressed by the installation of a simple, autonomous "fly-home" mode in the flight control computer, air data, and inertial reference systems. This mode automatically activates upon the loss of the controlling radio signal, sending the aircraft home for a safe landing. In the event this fails, each aircraft has an emergency parachute located in the top of the fuselage as a last-chance safety device. The construction of two aircraft insures that the data required from the flight-test program will be acquired in the event one of the vehicles is lost.
Two remotely-piloted HiMAT aircraft were flown at Dryden from mid-1979 to January 1983. They, too, were used to demonstrate advanced fighter aircraft technologies that could be used in the development of future high performance military aircraft. The drones were air-launched from the Center's venerable B-52. The X- 36 is designed to take off and land by itself.
Employees of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration were recently notified that NASA management will develop a plan to accelerate the downsizing of the Agency's headquarters and reduce the number of headquarters workers from its current level of 1.430 positions to 650 - 700 by October 1997.
The new plan anticipates a Reduction in Force (RIF) at NASA headquarters to be completed by October 1, 1997.
NASA's existing downsizing plan calls for a reduction in its headquarters staff from an October 1993 level of 2,200 positions to 1,073 positions by October 2000. The new plan increases the target reduction by approximately 400 employees and accelerates the timetable for completing the reduction.
Although the target date for the reduced staffing level is still 18 months away, NASA managers decided to make the announcement today so that planning can begin immediately and employees have the information they need to make career decisions.
Agency officials had previously identified 239 positions moving from the headquarters to NASA's field centers, of which 110 have already taken place or are in process. Officials do not expect the number of jobs being transferred to NASA centers to be increased above the 239 level.
The recent announcement affects only the Agency's headquarters. Agency officials will put the new headquarters structure in place to provide the foundation for the NASA centers to review their staffing needs, meet budget and program priorities, and set new staffing goals.
Three technologies originally developed by NASA to improve pilot and astronaut safety were inducted into the United States Space Foundation's "Space Technology Hall of Fame," in Colorado Springs, Co., on April 11 to honor their contribution to enhancing the quality of life on Earth.
The technologies being recognized are those for anti-shock trousers, flame retardant seat materials and the radiation barrier. Two of these technologies were developed by engineers in the Space Technology Division at the Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif. The radiation barrier was developed for the Apollo program through the Johnson Space Center, Houston, Tex. The anti-shock trousers were an adaptation of the anti-gravity flight suits originally developed for pilots and astronauts. They were modified to combat internal bleeding in trauma victims in emergency situations. The flame retardant seats are an outgrowth of research on the flammability of polymeric materials that followed the tragic on-the-pad fire that killed three Apollo astronauts in January 1967. The radiation barrier was developed for protecting the Apollo crew capsule from the extreme temperature ranges of space, and has become a successful commercial insulation material.
"We are thrilled that these NASA-developed and inspired technologies have found such wide adaptation and helped to save the lives of so many of our citizens," said Ames' center director Dr. Henry "Harry" McDonald. "We refer to these dual uses of our technologies as spinoffs," he said. "But, in fact, they are not merely secondary applications. They provide direct, quantifiable and invaluable benefits to the American taxpayer and the domestic economy."
One of the hazards that astronauts encounter during space travel is associated with the internal shifting of body fluids during transition between varying gravity levels, from zero to many times normal, according to Dr. Bruce Webbon, chief of Ames' Extravehicular (EVA) and Protective Systems Branch. Pilots of high-performance aircraft also are subject to such fluid shifts during maneuvers. To counteract the resulting effects, trousers or flight suits containing pneumatic bladders can be worn to prevent such fluid shifts. Ames engineers have been conducting research on the design, use and effects of such garments for nearly 30 years.
In 1969, a physician at Stanford Hospital urgently requested the assistance of Ames medical and engineering personnel in controlling the internal bleeding of a dying patient. Using an anti-gravity pilot's suit and a device that applied external pressure to the legs and abdomen, the Ames team was able to stop the bleeding and save the patient. Today it is estimated that this life saving technology has now been used over two million times and that commercial sales of the anti-shock medical garments currently top a cumulative total of over $50 million.
Research into polymeric materials following the deadly Apollo fire indicated that many materials can be protected for direct ignition by the use of a fire-resistant material which essentially "encapsulates" the more flammable material, according to Ames' Demetrius Kourtides, inventor of the flame resistant seat technology.
Subsequent tests of this Ames-developed concept of using a fire blocking layer of fabric, which is thermally stable and fire resistant around existing seat cushion material, were conducted and the procedure validated in both civilian and military aircraft. More than 600,000 seats have been retrofitted since a resulting 1984 FAA regulation was instituted, and the technology is now credited with saving an estimated 25 lives each year.
The radiation barrier is a thin polymeric film that is used on virtually all spacecraft because of its unique capability to insulate and radiate in situations where delicate instruments need protection from temperature extremes. The radiation barrier is being used commercially to insulate office buildings, manufacturing plants, new homes, and automobiles.
With the latest selections, 25 technologies have been inducted into the Hall since the awards began in 1988.
In commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the first space shuttle launch on April 12, 1981, NASA is featuring a summary of space shuttle program accomplishments from April 1981 to April 1996 on the Internet.
More than 400 crew members have flown on the shuttle with more than 600 days of flight time accumulated by the fleet. The shuttle has flown over 700 payloads for research efforts in astronomy and astrophysics, life and material sciences, planetary science, communications, solar physics and national security.
Counting all shuttle missions to date, including Challenger, there have been 76 flights. Space shuttle crews have deployed 54 payloads including three interplanetary spacecraft and more than 30 satellites have been place in geosynchronous Earth-orbit and several spacecraft in low Earth orbit.
The shuttle fact sheet can be obtained via the Internet at:
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/Newsroom/today.html
A summary of the shuttle facts also is available via anonymous ftp. Log in as anonymous to : ftp.hq.nasa.gov Go to the directory /pub/pao. The file name is called 15years.txt.
An investigation into the Feb. 26 tether break during deployment of a tethered satellite from the Space Shuttle Columbia is continuing to move forward, as it pursues an explanation for the unexpected separation and loss of the satellite.
"The board is roughly on schedule," said Chairman Kenneth J. Szalai. "We have not closed in on a single cause, but testing has provided clues to the cause, and we have narrowed down to four or five potential single or connected scenarios."
The fault-tree approach being used by the board resulted in a large number of possible contributing factors or potential "causes" for the break being defined and examined. To date, roughly half of those fault tree blocks have been eliminated from further consideration, resulting in a major narrowing of the investigation's focus.
As an example of this elimination process, Szalai cited the board's assessment that neither the satellite itself, its component systems, nor operations which were being conducted with it, contributed to the separation.
Tests and analyses using a variety of sophisticated apparatus and techniques have been underway at laboratories of the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., in support of the board's effort. The lab activities, beginning in mid-March and continuing, have been an indispensable source of physical evidence to shed light on the tether incident, according to Szalai.
Another round of tests was under way as the X-Press was being published, with some 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) of tether which remained aboard Columbia after the break being examined in Marshall Center facilities.
The board was established almost immediately after the tethered satellite loss, during the STS-75 Space Shuttle mission. The panel's charter called for submitting, within 75 days, a draft report of findings and recommendations to NASA Associate Administrator for the Office of Space Flight Wil Trafton. The target completion date, based on that schedule, is May 13.
NASA and its major space shuttle contractors recently took an important step toward consolidating shuttle operations and processing work under a single prime contractor.
Two Novation Agreements that became effective in April designate United Space Alliance as the prime contractor for both shuttle processing work currently performed by Lockheed Space Operations Company at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Fl., and shuttle operations work currently performed by Rockwell Space Operations Company at the Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston, Tex. United Space Alliance (USA) is a joint venture announced last year by Rockwell International Corp. and Lockheed Martin Corp. in preparation to compete for NASA's request for a single Space Flight Operations Contract.
In November 1995, NASA announced its decision to pursue a single space shuttle operations contract on a non-competitive basis with USA. The novation activities are designed to ease the transition to a single contract. Together, Rockwell and Lockheed Martin already hold almost 70 percent of the dollar value of all space shuttle-related contracts.
"This agreement basically constitutes a name change for contracts that will essentially remain intact for the near term," said Space Shuttle Program Manager Tommy Holloway. "However, it is significant in that it is the first phase of a transition to a single contract and it constitutes the first official contract between USA and NASA. This allows us to get an early start on implementing a single Space Flight Operations Contract approach, and it supports our requirement that the transition to that contract is efficient and, above all, safe."
The eventual consolidation of NASA's Space Flight Operations under a single contract is expected to reduce shuttle costs by streamlining contractor operations and eliminating duplicative work while maintaining flight safety as the ultimate priority. NASA's involvement in the day-to-day operations of the Space Shuttle Program also is expected to decrease as greater accountability is shifted to the contractor.
The two Novation Agreements signed recently, one covering the Space Operations Contract, NAS9-18000, with Rockwell Space Operations Co. (RSOC), and another covering the Shuttle Processing Contract, NAS10-10900, with Lockheed Space Operations Co. (LSOC), will eventually consolidate all work from the two largest shuttle operations contracts with USA. However, in the near future, no terms or conditions of the two contracts will change and USA will immediately subcontract the same work to RSOC and LSOC that they had previously performed under their respective contracts with NASA.
A Lockheed Martin Tier III Minus "Darkstar" unpiloted surveillance aircraft was destroyed when it crashed at 11:22 a.m., PDT on April 22, at Edwards AFB during a development flight originating at Dryden.
There were no property damage or injuries on the ground as a result of the accident. The cause of the accident is not yet known.
An intermim accident investigation team, headed by Dryden's Vance Brand, was formed to gather and protect data which will be used to determine the exact cause of the mishap.
The aircraft was being developed by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and Boeing Defense and Space Group for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office to provide high altitude battlefield reconnaissance data. When operational, the remotely piloted aircraft may fly at altitudes greater than 45,000 feet.
The turbo-powered aircraft had been flying under the guidance of mission controllers at Dryden during takeoff when the accident occurred.
Dryden's role in the mission was to provide range safety.
Editor's Note:
The NASA Digital Fly-by-Wire program was the forerunner of the fly-by-wire all-electric control systems now commonplace on military aircraft, as well as the space shuttle.
The following are reprints of a series of articles from the X- Press archives on the F-8 Digitial-Fly-By-Wire program at Dryden.
This is the first in a series of articles on current and upcoming projects of the F-8.
The F-8 Digital Fly-By-Wire is very much back in business at Dryden, operating as the versatile workhorse which contributed vastly to systems aboard the Space Shuttle. Project Manager Cal Jarvis says the F-8 currently is conducting a series of tests aimed at reducing the problem of Pilot Induced Oscillations in aircraft or -- as he hopes -- eliminating it altogether.
Pilot Induced Oscillation, or PIO, is the problem resulting from controls -- in this case computerized -- not responding to the pilot's commands as quickly as he expects. Thinking that the command is not being carried out, he repeats it while the computer is executing it. He then reacts by compensating for the extra command. The result is overcontrol of the aircraft, which causes an oscillating motion.
"PIOs are kind of peculiar because you can fly a plane for a long time and never encounter the problem," says Jarvis; "Then you get into a position where you have a really precise control requirement, resulting in a high pilot workload, and there it is." Situations most likely to precipitate the problem, according to Jarvis, are landing, close tracking of another aircraft, or possibly in-flight refueling.
The current tests are using the tracking situation to test an experimental software PIO-suppression system -- a system developed originally by Dryden engineers to solve a Space Shuttle PIO problem experienced during landing. Project engineers have programmed a number of theoretical improvements into the F-8's onboard computers. During research flights, the pilot tracks an F- 104 target aircraft and selects a computer program making the F-8 susceptible to PIOs. As the F-8 closes in, PIOs start and the pilot engages one of several suppression filters. The project has several different conditions to evaluate, says Jarvis, the objective being to discover which filter works best.
Project pilot Steve Ishmael has performed most of the evaluation flights. Tom McMurtry, Einar Enevoldson and the late Mike Swann also have flown tests. It is important to get a number of pilots involved, according to Jarvis, because each operates the controls differently and has unique work load saturation levels. Getting a wide spread is essential to the program.
While the F-8 previously conducted PIO-suppression research for the Space Shuttle, present studies are aimed at developing solutions for all Fly-By-Wire systems. Researchers consider the work essential to advancement of computer-controlled aircraft.
To assist current PIO research, engineers have added an innovations aboard the F-8 by installing a video camera in the tail. "The camera's input is excellent; you can actually see the PIO effects on the aircraft," says Jarvis. "We're also evaluating it for possible applications with other programs.
The F-8 is, or soon will be, involved in a number of different experiments likely to prove important in coming generations of aircraft. The next issue of the X-PRESS will describe the experiment called Synthetic Sensor Technology.
This is the second in a series of articles on the F-8.
Dryden's F-8 Digital Fly-By-Wire program recently completed a series of research flights to develop an advanced software concept called Synthetic Sensor Technology. Project engineers designed the tests to create new sensing information for use in aircraft flight control systems.
Project Manager Cal Jarvis says that if you have three sensors, this concept will give you a fourth sensor for free, without new hardware. So Dryden engineers have modified part of the F-8's existing software to operate as an independent sensor.
The project aims to benefit advance flight control systems that deal with multiple aircraft motion. Researchers expect it to increase reliability and safety of those systems without the expense of additional hardware. According to Jarvis, the idea is to get both added mileage from existing systems and improved systems for the future.
In developing the synthetic software package, Dryden researchers collaborated with Boston's Charles Stark Draper Laboratory -- the same contractor who developed the Space Shuttle backup software.
Dryden's project team implemented the package into the F-8's computer system to see if it would prove reliable in detecting failures during all flight conditions. "So far, it looks very promising," says Jarvis. Engineers plan to use the developed technique on the Space Shuttle Training Aircraft.
This is the third in a series of articles on the F-8.
Dryden's F-8 Digital Fly-by-Wire is being enlisted to help solve the problem which forced Space Shuttle managers to abort the Columbia's first scheduled launch. Project Manager Cal Jarvis says researchers are using a technique called the Resident Backup Software System, or REBUS.
Columbia's problem was that her primary onboard computer suddenly refused to talk to her backup computer. In the computerized flight control system used by the Shuttle and Dryden's F-8, the combination of primary and backup computers is a failsafe arrangement. The primary system has three or more computers -- all of which share identical program software. If an error exists in that software, it affects all the primary computers and could cause the whole system to fail. This is known as the generic software problem. Engineers presently guard against it by adding the separate backup computer.
The trouble with using the primary and backup combination is that the computers can fail to communicate with each other and shut down both systems. Adding the second computer also costs a lot of money.
Dryden researchers are exploring REBUS as a cheaper and more reliable solution to the generic software problem. The technique identifies any problem in the software being used by the primary computers and substitutes a separate set of software in the event an error is detected.
Jarvis plans to start flight tests in 1982.
by Al Bowers
Aerospace Engineer
This month continuing with our observance of Dryden's 50th anniversary year, we are featuring "X-15", by Stan Stokes.
The X-15 is held as a singular achievement of the work done here by NASA and the Edwards Complex. The aircraft flew 199 missions from March 10, 1959, to October 24, 1968. However, it would be presumptuous in the extreme to produce a history of the X-15 from this vantage point. Many people who were principals in the program are still here at Dryden and can provide a much better view of the project than could be conveyed with these words of mine. People like Bill Dana, Ed Saltzman, and Terry Larson (apologies to those not mentioned). However, I can share a couple of anecdotal stories from one person whom I greatly admired, and whose words I still cherish.
I was a graduate student working in Aerodynamics, and I was still learning at which end of the building Operations was located (much less had I figured out what it was the Ops did), when a much more seasoned veteran of many projects here came into my office. It was obvious something special was happening, as my office mates immediately stopped what they were doing to listen to what was said. Graciously, I was introduced to this gentleman. His name was Milt Thompson.
Milt related two stories from the X-15 days. In the first, we were talking about the energy capabilities of modern aircraft. Being young and foolish, I suffered the impression that the aircraft of the day were the ultimate in performance. So little did I know! I had heard pilots talking in the halls that at about 2 Gs of acceleration, the throttle could be used as a controller of agility. So I posed this question to Milt. He only smiled and said, "Well, the X-15 would launch with about two and one-half Gs of acceleration, and right before burn-out we were pulling about four Gs, which hurt. Pressing into the seat, without instruments the feeling was that you were shooting straight up into the sky, and rolling over on your back at the same time. The X-15 was the only aircraft I ever flew that I was glad when the engine stopped running." From my perspective here and now, I have heard Bill Dana say the same things about his flights in the X-15. That aircraft/spacecraft really must have been some ride.
Later in the same conversation, Milt related a story about an up- range mission in an F-104 to verify that the lakebeds used as emergency landing strips were suitable for use by the X-15s should a contingency force them into landing. Upon returning to Edwards, Milt moved the lever to lower the flaps. Instead of the usual pitch and speed changes, the aircraft rolled violently to one side. Recognizing an asymmetric flap deployment, Milt quickly retracted the flap handle. Unfortunately, one flap had stuck in a position that was neither up nor down. However, he found that he could control the roll moment by flying at a high airspeed (my failing memory of this story seems to recall 300 knots as the magic number), and maximum lateral stick deflection. This airspeed, however, was well above a suitable landing airspeed. After mulling the situation over a bit, the final decision was simply to point the aircraft out into the Precision Impact Range Area and eject, which Milt did. Now Milt had recently completed bail-out and survival training. In this course, it was recommended that the procedure be to cut two of the parachute shroud lines, thereby making the parachute more easily steered for a more controlled landing. As Milt related it, "...I had the knife in my hands, looking up at that parachute. And I put the knife away, as I decided I wasn't going to mess with that parachute in any way!"
Many stories of the X-15 and Milt Thompson can be found in Milt's book "At the Edge of Space." I heartily recommend reading it. But to me, I will remember Milt sitting in a US Government chair in my office, reclining against the door, on a warm September afternoon in 1982, telling stories to a small and close group of engineers.
Stan Stokes, a prolific aviation artist, is also a pilot. A native Californian residing in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Stokes has won prestigious national awards, including first place in the Smithsonian Institution's worldwide competition for the Air and Space Museum Golden Age of Flight Award in 1984.
A NASA enthusiast, Stokes was selected as the official artist for the roll out of the Endeavour and commissioned by NASA for 15 paintings in the years 1985 to 1993, including the X-15, X-29, SR- 71 and lifting bodies HL-10, M2-F3 and X-24B.
The X-15 painting is of special importance to Dryden because as representational art, it shows us something we could never see -- the X-15 from above, at the edge of space. We have many X-15 photos, but no inflight photos are as sharp in focus and none show the X-15 at the edge of space.
Stokes' paintings are displayed in private and museum collections throughout the world, including the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright- Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, and the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola, Florida. The NASA Art Program exhibits throughout the agency, located at sites such as Kennedy Space Center and Dryden.
Working as a Government employee is like living in a glass house. Our flight research is generally done in the open. We want our customers and the public to know about our successes. We also have to bear the examination of our failures by this same group.
But it is not only our products that are scrutinized. The way we do our jobs, the way we deal with the public and external customer, the way we conduct our operations are all seen by a wide spectrum of the populace.
U.S. Government employees and organizations are publicly funded. Everything we use or consume at Dryden is paid for from public funds. This includes office furniture, jet aircraft, telephone service, electric utilities, computers, software, aviation fuel, paper clips, and our salaries.
Unlike a private sector company, we have no "profit" to use for our purchases. We use appropriated funds. The appropriation is made by publicly elected officials in the Congress and approved by the President of the United States. The funds come from taxes on working citizens in and out of the government. They come from people who are also trying to pay bills and raise families.
Because we are publicly funded, we are publicly accountable for how we use the money. If we use a computer for private or personal benefit, it is a breach of trust with the public and the representatives they elected. I would be very angry if I found out that part of the enormous tax bill I paid was used by a government employee for personal benefit. Other people would be angry too. That's why they made it illegal to do that.
We can use non-appropriated funds (like from Exchange Council earnings) for the employee picnic and for scholarships.
Employees don't like to be hassled with bureaucratic rules and regulations. This area isn't one of those. Misuse and abuse of the public trust is serious business because of who pays the bills. You can use the computer you bought from your own paycheck for almost any (legal) things you desire. You can use your NASA computer for only NASA business. It's the law, it's the ethical thing to do, and it's demanded and expected by the citizens who pay our salaries and buy our equipment.
Some rules are dumb. The rules on use of Government time or equipment aren't. In a glass house, our actions and attitudes are visible. But it should not be visibility that keeps us in line; it should be the high level of integrity, ethics, and professional commitment to our mission that should guide us.
- Kenneth J. Szalai
May 3, 1990 - First flight in NASA's first program to investigate laminar flow at supersonic speeds. The program is using the only two F-16XL prototypes to investigate passive and active methods of reducing turbulence on wing surfaces at high speeds.
May 9, 1969 - HL-10 becomes the first lifting body to fly supersonic. John Manke, later to become the Dryden site manager, is the pilot.
May 13, 1995 - X-31 completes final research flights, making a total of 555 for the program.
May 15, 1991- Full-scale X-30 structural test component, representing a wing control surface, arrives at Dryden's Thermostructural Research Laboratory for loads and temperature testing.
May 16, 1992 - Maiden landing of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, built to replace Challenger. Landing is viewed by an estimated 125,000 people, including 2500 school students.
May 21, 1993 - First research flight with Dryden's F-18 Systems Research Aircraft checks out an electric actuator that monitors and controls one of the aircraft's ailerons, and becomes a testbed for advanced electric and fiber optic components.
May 25, 1972 - First flight of aircraft with all-electric fly-by-wire flight control system, the NASA F-8 Digital Fly-By- Wire research aircraft, with Gary Krier the pilot. Concept is now used in many aircraft, including space shuttles.
by Joe Ramos, III
Associate Director
Did you know that NASA has an Export Control Program (ECP)? "I don't export any equipment, so what does this have to do with me?" you might ask. Well, did you know that an "export" is more than just shipping material to another country? In fact, an "export" is any shipment, transfer, or transmission of commodities, technology, or software out of the United States. This includes disclosure of technical data to a foreign national by physical, electronic, oral, or visual means within or outside the United States.
Here are a few recently asked questions:
Question: Is this just a Dryden program?
Answer: No. This is a NASA-wide (Headquarters and Field Centers) system established to ensure that exports to foreign parties within the United States or abroad comply with the Export Administration Regulations and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. The agency's Export Control Program is based on a corporate philosophy endorsed by the Administrator that says, "We want to maximize the benefits of our international efforts while ensuring that we comply with export control laws and regulations."
Question: I wrote a software program and am considering putting it on the Internet. Is this considered an export?
Answer: Yes. Although most of the time there is no problem, you should ask. The April 3, 1995 issue of the Washington Post reported about a 41-year old computer consultant who received one of the highest honors in high technology: a pioneer award from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Within weeks he was indicted for the same act that won him recognition. He wrote a powerful software program to encrypt information on personal computers and distributed free so all computer users could have privacy protection. But a friend put the program on the Internet, which is a global computer network. This is a violation of U.S. export laws, which classify encryption technology as a powerful weapon whose export is strictly controlled.
Question: Where can I get help?
Answer: All NASA centers have recently named center export administrators (CEA) and export counsels (CEC) to provide oversight and guidance to program and project managers. Joe Ramos is the DFRC CEA, Terry Mahurin is the DFRC CEC, and Tracy Taylor is the DFRC Transportation Officer. They will ensure the right questions are being asked and that activities involving international parties are well managed. Taylor also ensures that all exports and transfers of commodities, technologies and software under center programs are accompanied by appropriate documentation.
For additional guidance, NASA published a document appropriately called the "NASA Export Control Program." Copies of the publication were recently distributed to each Dryden Directorate. The publication describes procedures necessary to classify commodities being exported and includes an export-processing template that walks you through the steps required to determine what type of license, if any, is needed for an export. The template, which is unique in the federal government, is intended to simplify the various export control rules and facilitate transfers under NASA programs.
For more on the NASA Export Control Program, visit the program's homepage at:
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codei/nasaecp/TOCNASAECP.html
or call one of the above Dryden export officials.
by John Torres
Chemical Manager
The Dryden paper recycling program has finally be re-initiated!
Do your part to save a tree!
Please remember: it is very important to keep "contaminants" out of the collection containers and make sure the various categories of recyclables are not mixed. Some example of contaminates would include post-it notes, envelopes and letterhead with color text or graphics. Contamination occurs when garbage, trash or other categories of paper are mixed into the collection container. It is important to keep each category uncontaminated because the contractor can not sort or sell contaminated recyclables. Each time contamination occurs, our combined collection efforts are wasted and the recyclables end up in the trash.
As before, we still need to transport the recyclables from our work station to the various Central Collection Sites located in each building. Most of these Central Collection Site locations have not changed since the last recycling program was in operation. From these central sites, the janitors are contracted to move the materials outdoors to collection sheds.
If you have any questions regarding collection, please contact Connie Stewart at ext. 3861.
Dryden's Marta Bohn-Meyer recently accepted the position of Acting Deputy Chief of Dryden's Aerospace Projects for a six month period of time, beginning on April 29. Bohn-Meyer, who has been with Dryden since 1979, began her career with NASA as an operations engineer and has worked on a variety of research projects, specializing in flight test operations, developing test techniques, and laminar flow research. Before accepting the position of Acting Deputy Chief of Aerospace Projects, Bohn-Meyer had been the F-16XL Project Manager since mid-1990.
Bohn-Meyer looks upon this position as a "good opportunity for learning."
Russ Barber, who previously held the Acting Deputy Chief position, is currently the Project Manager for the TU-144LL Supersonic Flying Laboratory, as well as being heavily involved in the aircraft consolidation effort at Dryden.
The Dryden Exchange Council announces the 1996 academic scholarship award. The applications have been available since April 22, with the deadline to have applications submitted by July 5, 1996. This year's scholarship will be named in honor of Dryden's 50th Anniversary Commemoration. The name will be announced at a later date. This year's award will be the thirteenth scholarship offered by the Exchange Council.
This scholarship is offered to current high school seniors who plan to attend either a four year college/university or a two-year community college. The student must be the child of a current career, retired or deceased Dryden employee or of a military detailee currently stationed at Dryden. Awards will be made by a scholarship selection committee composed of Dryden employees, one of whom is a member of the Exchange Council.
To obtain a scholarship package or additional information, please call Tracy Taylor at ext. 3320 or stop by room 2113 in Bldg. 4800.
by Barbara Martin
Task Monitor for Microcomputer Support
The Word 6.0 Macro virus has been found on site. It is imperative that everyone help to avoid spreading this virus.
Mac users should have the file "Word 6.0 for Windows & Macintosh" in their Word (5.1a) commands folder. Check your Word Commands folder first before downloading from XF Archive. After that is in place, when opening a Word 6 file, open Word and then select File/Open to avoid getting this virus. To avoid infection, do not open Word 6 files by double clicking on them or by selecting them from your most recently used file list under the Apple menu. "Word 6.0 for Windows & Macintosh" is available on the XF Archive Server and the MCSG Server.
Mac users can get this file from either of the servers listed below:
To access the XF Archive Server:
To access the MCSG Server:
Windows users sharing the Word 6.0 files should be aware that if they look under the file/templates/organizer/macros pull down menu and see macros there that they have not created it is likely they are infected. Some of the macros you might see added to this menu are: AAAZAO, AAAZFS, AutoOpen, FileSaveAs or Payload.
The protection tool provided by Microsoft (Scanprot.dot) is not very effective on either platforms and is not recommended.
Mac and PC users
If you suspect an infection please call our Technical Support Center (TSC) at ext. 6100 and request a task order to have it eradicated.
Are you excited about Dryden? Would you like to share your experiences with people who are interested in aeronautics and space? Volunteer as a member of the Dryden Speakers Bureau.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy challenged the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to win the race to the Moon. America met that challenge and established our country's leadership in space for decades to follow.
Today, NASA continues to serve as a drive for economic, technological, and educational growth in our country. It inspires Americans to dream. As the United States looks to the future, NASA's aeronautics and space science programs help keep America in the forefront of technology.
NASA belongs to every American, and the work the Agency does enriches our daily way of life. The NASA Speakers Bureau has been established to share how the Agency programs affect people now and in future generations.
Dryden is looking for a few good men and women to participate in the NASA Speakers Bureau. Engineers and other employees are needed to be available for lectures and presentations to civic groups, schools, professional organizations, and other groups. Speakers provide presentations appropriate for every audience, from children to executives.
If you are interested in volunteering to serve as a speaker please call Dill Hunley in the External Affairs Office at ext. 3447.
by Cheryl Agin-Heathcock
X-Press Editor
Forty-two-year-old Jorge Otero, of the Dryden Finance Office, is a very special person, with a great love not only for his family and friends, but for people in general. He speaks with great enthusiasm, an engaging smile on his face, and with laughter in his voice. His enthusiasm for life stems from his very deep faith in God, his goal to live his life giving the glory to God.
A couple of years ago, Otero received a phone call from an old friend at Goddard, with a request for prayer. Two years later, Jorge Otero gave up one of his kidneys and saved the life of his friend.
Otero, a Dryden employee since May 1995, began his NASA career at Goddard Space Flight Center 11 years ago. He met Hayward Trapps shortly after beginning his job as the manager of reimbursibles. The two men became close friends after beginning a Bible study together, and remained close even after Otero left for a job at Headquarters before coming to Dryden.
Trapps suffered total kidney failure by the age of 40 as the result of diabetes, which has affected several other family members. He already lost one brother to kidney failure and has another brother on dialysis. At the time he called Otero for prayer support, Trapps was on dialysis three times a day, one hour per treatment. Dialysis is a process by which uric acid and urea are removed from circulating blood through a semipermeable membrane in a dialyzer. He had a portable unit and was able to perform the procedure in his office at work. But the level of impurities entering his body, even after the dialysis treatment, was high and his situation was serious. Family members were unable to donate a kidney due to the already existing or strong possibility of developing diabetes themselves.
Otero, who describes himself as a born-again Christian, faithfully prayed for his friend. "About six months ago, I said to myself, 'You continue to pray for this guy; why don't you give him a kidney?' Then I started praying some more! I thought,'where did this thought come from?'" said Otero. "One of my prayers was that the Lord would make the whole thing perfect. If not, I would not do anything."
After gaining the support of his wife, two sons and two daughters, a very important prerequisite for him before continuing with the process, Otero contacted the coordinator, Patty DeLone, at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington D.C., to begin the more than two months of testing necessary to determine if he would be a good match. Not wanting to give Trapps any false hope, Otero did not share his intentions with his friend. The testing required to determine compatibility was extensive with blood and urine samples, taken at his local doctor's office, Fed Exed to Washington D.C., and the results relayed to Otero through his physician.
When the tests proved Otero to be compatible with Trapps, DeLone informed Trapps that they might have a donor. Otero informed him personally that he was that donor. "Hayward was very pleased, very surprised," said Otero.
The surgery took place on March 25 at Washington Hospital Center. The surgery for the removal of Otero's kidney took three and one half to four hours, required a 10-inch incision, running at an angle on his left side beginning on his back, resulting in 51 stitches. Otero was anesthetized with an epidural, which is an injection into the lumbar area of the spine. This eliminates sensation from the insertion point downward, but allows the patient to remain alert and awake. The kidney was placed in Trapps body within an hour of being removed from Otero. Following the surgery, Otero developed a fever of 104¡ and had to be on ice packs for two days. His stay in the hospital lasted seven days, while Trapps remained for five days.
Otero remained in Maryland with family members for one week following his release from the hospital, and returned to work the following week, just two weeks after the surgery.
Trapps will need to take it easy for the first three months following the surgery, and will take anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life, but returned to work on April 22. "It is quite a blessing to have Jorge come forward to do that for me. I look upon it as an act of obedience to God. John 15:13 says 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.' I feel great, my body is healing, I praise God for that and I praise God for a friend like Jorge," said Trapps.
Otero responded, "I'm not saying that it's easy to make that kind of a decision, because it is not! It takes a lot of thinking, it takes a lot of prayer, it takes a lot of coordination, and it takes a lot of, how can I say it, guts! But it was definitely worth it. I am so happy that he is really able to function again....I do not want to glorify myself. If I can sum up what this represented to me personally, it was a step of obedience, to be closer to the Lord. Each of us has our own race to run...this was mine. I have to run it the best way I can."
May 18 - Temecula Wine Country: We will stop at Audrys for lunch. Other wine tasting: Temecula Crest, Van Roekel Vineyards, Thortons. Cost per person is $25.00. Bus leaves Lancaster Park and Ride at 6:45 a.m.
June 9 - Baseball (Dodgers vs. Reds): Camera Day! Cost per person is $11.00. Bus leaves Lancaster City Park and Ride at 10:15 a.m.
June 19 - 20 - Pizza Nights (Graziano's in Mojave): Tickets are $7.50 per pizza. Price includes an extra large pizza with two toppings plus a beverage (either a pitcher of beer or soft drink, or a carafe of wine). Limit is two pizzas per family. Time is from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Note: The employee Services Trailer hours are Monday through Thursday 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and on Friday 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
See Joan in the Employee Services trailer or call ext. 3685 for more information.
Melissa J. Matz received the Space Flight Awareness Award presented to her by astronaut Mike Bloomfield in April during ceremonies at the Kennedy Space Center at the launch of the STS-76 space shuttle mission.
Matz, a Lockheed Martin employee, was honored for her work as the training coordinator of the Dryden Shuttle Support Office and area, where she is also in charge of area visitor control, along with safety and technical training. Matz has been with Lockheed Martin since May of 1993, and has been with Dryden a total of four years. The STS-76 mission, flown by Atlantis, launched on March 22 and landed here March 31, after a weather wave-off at the Kennedy Space Center.
Kudos to Flo Garcia and Carmen Arevalo who did such a wonderful job of organizing the Secretaries Day celebrations. Flo and Carmen, as Co-Chairs of the Admin. Steering Committee, went to a great deal of work to present such a well-organized function, honoring the Adminstrative Support personnel at Dryden.
Kudos to AAFES, Dryden's Cafeteria Manager Anna Collins, and the rest of the staff at the cafeteria for the wonderful job of providing the food for the Secretaries Day luncheon.
Kudos to the janitorial staff of Ameriko-Omserv who continue to do a wonderful job in spite of the difficulties and inconveniences caused by the seismic upgrade work being done on Bldg. 4800.
Cheryl Agin-Heathcock, X-Press Editor
Dryden
External Affairs Office
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
Edwards, CA 93523
(805) 258-3447
pao@news.dfrc.nasa.gov
Modified: May 7, 1996