Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT_ZIP/jplpaper/930716.ZIP/930716.UNI

Text File | 1993-08-09 | 23KB | 430 lines

Jet Propulsion Laboratory UNIVERSE
Pasadena, California - Vol. 23, No. 14 - July 16, 1993
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Putting WF/PC-2 in place may require the hands of a surgeon

By Diane Ainsworth
     What will it take to slide a 280-kilogram (620-pound),
wedge-shaped camera into the side of NASA's orbiting Hubble Space
Telescope without so much as bumping an edge of the instrument?
     NASA thinks it may take the hands of a surgeon.
     So Story Musgrave, a surgeon by training and payload
commander on STS-61 -- the first Hubble telescope servicing
mission -- has been practicing, along with four other crew
members, in a 12-meter-deep (40-foot-deep) water tank at Marshall
Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The tank simulates the
weightlessness of space.
     "Working in the water tank, and in the Weightless
Environment Training Facility at Johnson Space Center, we are
learning things like reach and visibility," Musgrave told members
of the press at a recent Hubble Space Telescope News Writers
Workshop in Baltimore.  "We are learning the right kinds of
positions we will use in the work sites on orbit, how to work in
spacesuits and how to restrain objects in zero G."
     Musgrave and his colleagues were halfway through a
three-week water training session at Marshall Space Flight Center
when he took time out to give the press an astronaut's
perspective on the upcoming December 1993 Hubble Space Telescope
servicing mission via remote satellite link from Huntsville.
     The 57-year-old veteran of four space flights, who had
recently suffered frostbite on several fingertips during a
training session, didn't flinch when the inevitable question --
would the crew be able to fix everything -- came up.
     "It's a bunch of hard work, but I think we're going to get
the whole thing done," he declared enthusiastically. "People
should remember that during the lunar program, we were working on
the moon eight hours a day, three days in a row," he said.
"During this mission, we will be working (out in space) six hours
every other day."
     The Space Shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to rendezvous with
and capture the Hubble Space Telescope during STS-61, tentatively
set for launch at 4:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Dec. 2.
Astronauts will retrieve the 13.1-meter-long (43-foot-long)
orbiting telescope on the third day of the mission.
     Once the telescope has been captured by the shuttle's
15-meter (50-foot) mechanical arm, it will be secured upright in
the cargo bay for servicing. One-hundred-and-seventy-one tools,
ranging from simple tote bags to sophisticated, battery-operated
power tools, have been prepared to assist the astronauts in the
repair mission.
     Working in pairs on alternating days, four of the seven crew
members -- Musgrave and mission specialists Jeffery Hoffman,
Thomas Akers and Kathryn Thornton -- will be spacewalking a
record five days of the mission and, perhaps, as many as seven
days. Each spacewalk will last from five to eight hours,
depending on how long the oxygen supplies last.
     Three priorities on STS-61 have been identified as crucial
to the success of the mission: replacing the telescope's two
12-meter (39-foot) solar panels; replacing the
Wide-Field/Planetary Camera; and installing the Corrective Optics
Space Telescope Axial Replacement, known as COSTAR.
     Musgrave said the crew has been working with a full-scale
training version of the camera to learn how to delicately remove
the cover of the pickoff mirror, which points out from the tip of
the camera, before the instrument is guided like a giant drawer
into the side of the telescope.
     "You are about this far away from the mirror," he said,
extending his arm about 30 centimeters (12 inches) in front of
his face, "and you've got the optics of an incredibly important
instrument, probably one of the most important instruments ever
flown. It has to be protected, it cannot be touched at all, and
you have to give it the most tender loving care of all until it
is inserted into the telescope."
     The astronauts have learned from water training that the
Wide-Field/Planetary Camera will have to be handed off to one
astronaut, who will be holding onto the side of the telescope
from his or her partner, who will be standing on the shuttle's
robot arm.
     "We discovered that the person on the arm will not have the
visibility to slide the camera into the side of the telescope,"
Musgrave said.  "Keep in mind that we are wearing big helmets and
visors that limit our sight, how much we can turn our heads and
where we can put our eyeballs."
     Two extra days have been built into the 11-day mission to
give the astronauts a day off and to allow for contingencies --
anything that might go awry or require research from the ground.
     "If we find that we're running behind in some task or
running ahead of schedule, we will be able to move on to other
tasks," Musgrave said. "We are being trained to accommodate
surprises, changes in the flight plan, things that may interrupt
or delay our activities."
     The crew will begin its daily spacewalks on the day
following telescope capture, Dec. 5, said Milt Heflin, flight
director for the first servicing mission.
     The first extravehicular activity (EVA) will involve
replacing three backup gyros that are used to point and track the
telescope and preparing the solar arrays for deployment, Heflin
said.
     The second EVA will be devoted to replacing the solar
arrays, followed on the next EVA day by replacement of the
Wide-Field/Planetary Camera. The fourth EVA will be used to
remove the 220-kilogram (487-pound), telephone booth-sized High
Speed Photometer and replace it with the 272-kilogram (600-pound)
COSTAR. All of the science instruments will be returned to Earth
to determine how well they weathered the space environment.
     NASA is considering a follow-up mission nine to 12 months
after STS-61 if all of the repairs are not completed. Although
Musgrave said he'd "jump at it" to be one of the returning
astronauts, he also voiced his confidence that the STS-61 crew
would be able to accomplish its mission regardless of the
surprises or setbacks.
     "In my 26 years with NASA, I have never seen such a
detailed, energetic approach to trying to identify all of the
surprises, to look ahead to all of the possibilities, all of the
contingencies that might happen during the mission," he said.
     "But this is not your local garage ... this is spaceflight,
this is one of the most ambitious things we have ever attempted.
It's a drama, and it's going to have to be played out." ###
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Traffic safety rules are a
must at huge Lab facility

By Karre Marino
     JPL is unique for a variety of reasons, one of them being
the need during the workday to walk through the Lab's mighty 176
acres (70 hectares) from building to building, mixing with other
pedestrians and moving vehicles.
     But sometimes the two are not a good match -- especially
when cars drive through stop signs, ignore pedestrian crosswalks
or exceed the speed limit. Or when pedestrians, lost in thought,
don't see an oncoming car.
     The summer months seem a good time to remind personnel that
there are traffic laws on Lab.
     Indeed, as Bill Shipley, assistant Laboratory director,
Office of Engineering and Review, noted, "it's important for
everyone to realize that this facility was not designed with
traffic in mind. There are many blind personnel crossings and an
inability for motorists to detect impending traffic. It is
incumbent upon the motorist to recognize the facility's physical
limitations and remember that they're sharing the roads with
bicyclists and pedestrians."
     Myron Hitch, manager of Plant Protection Section 613, said
that all personnel are required to observe the Lab's safe driving
rules, which include "operating speeds of 10 mph maximum on all
parking lot roadways, unless otherwise posted." He added that
when driving on all Lab roadways, unless otherwise noted, drivers
are not to exceed 20 mph.
     In addition, anyone who drives on Lab must have a valid
driver's license and vehicle registration with them. Drivers must
obey all posted traffic controls, including stop signs,
crosswalks and one-way street designations and must comply with
all state and local traffic regulations. No one may drive a
vehicle on Lab premises in a manner that endangers personnel or
property or impedes traffic.
     These are the same rules we must all follow on the roads and
highways, and they apply to everyone driving on Lab, whether
they're simply parking or they're part of the Traffic and
Transportation Section, Shipley emphasized.
     Hitch said that violators will be cited. Should those
drivers again run into trouble, he added, disciplinary action can
be taken. "Flagrant violators can actually lose parking
privileges, even their jobs. We'll contact their manager, and the
appropriate actions will be taken."
     As one might imagine, Hitch said "the worst times of the day
are rush hours. And we're seeing some speeding problems in the
East Lot."
     Finally, drivers should pay particular attention to
bicyclists. "Be cautious when passing. Bikers have little
protection, so be extra vigilant," he warned. ###
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Summer visitors inspired by shuttle astronaut

By Mark Whalen
     A majority of the more than 400 students and teachers
involved in various summer programs at JPL came to von Karman
Auditorium July 8 to hear about the experiences of shuttle
astronaut Marine Corps Col. Charles Bolden Jr., and they did not
leave disappointed.
     Actually, the 46-year-old Bolden, who will command a crew of
six on the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-60) this November,
provided the crowd with more than high-orbit views of earth and
tales of life in space -- he also came to inspire.
     Bolden originally was scheduled to speak to the 70 members
of JPL's Cooperative Education Program currently on Lab. But
according to program coordinator Linda Rodgers, students and
faculty from a number of other JPL summer education programs also
were also invited to hear the talk.
     After an introduction by Bolden's 17-year-old daughter,
Kelly, a participant in JPL's Minority High School Graduate
Summer Program, the crowd's attention didn't waver, as the
astronaut's appearance was like that of a celebrity to many.
     While showing the audience slides from last year's
Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS-1)
mission, on which he served as STS-45 commander, Bolden noted
that he never aspired to be an astronaut when he was growing up.
In fact, he added only half seriously, that after graduating from
the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., "I knew I wouldn't fly
airplanes, because that's inherently dangerous."
     But then his drive and curiosity got the better of him, and
Bolden soon found himself in flight training and was designated
as a naval aviator in 1970. "Finally, I fell in love with
flying," he said.
     As his career progressed, Bolden said he asked himself, "Is
what I'm doing important enough to put myself at risk?" He later
told the students, "You're here because you feel the risk is
worth it. It takes great strength and knowledge to be a science
major today, but what you get after the long commitment you have
made will be worth it."
     After serving in Vietnam, he was a test pilot for the
Marines. And when the first group of shuttle astronauts was being
selected by NASA in 1977, Bolden jumped at the opportunity. He
became an astronaut in 1981 and has now completed three shuttle
missions (STS-61C, 1986; STS-31, which deployed the Hubble Space
Telescope in 1990; and STS-45, the ATLAS-1 mission) for almost
500 hours in space.
     His current assignment to command STS-60 will mark the first
joint U.S.-Russian human space flight since the Apollo-Soyuz Test
Project in 1975. It will be the first flight to involve Russian
and American space travelers on the same crew.
     "He was a very impressive speaker, very inspiring," Rodgers
said. "He made it seem like being an astronaut could be possible,
that people should go for it."
     Rodgers noted that this already has happened in her program,
as several Co-op students in attendance at Bolden's talk had
already applied for astronaut training.
     The Co-op Program provides on-the-job training for college
students. Currently, Rodgers said, it is composed mostly of
undergraduates in the technical disciplines. She added that it
provides one of the best future hiring bases for JPL. "Students
get to know whether they like JPL and vice versa," Rodgers said.
"And the Lab knows they're proven commodities."
     Other student groups that heard Bolden's speech included the
regular JPL Summer Program, High School Teachers Summer Program,
Minority Science & Engineering Initiatives Program, Space Academy
and Caltech's Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
Program.
     University teachers from two NASA-sponsored faculty programs
also attended: the Aeronautics and Space Research Summer Faculty
Fellowship Program, and the Joint Venture Program, administered
by JPL's Educational Affairs Office. ###
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Hundreds visit Education Fair
in hopes of bolstering careers

By Karre Marino
     Whether they were thinking of returning to school for a
master's degree, a GED or a Ph.D., Lab employees had the
opportunity June 30 to ask questions and take home information
from a variety of schools, technical institutes and in-house
programs.
     Set up in the Mall, the Education Fair, which was sponsored
by Professional Development, the Director's Advisory Council for
Women (ACW) and the Advisory Committee on Minority Affairs
(ACMA), featured booths from 14 universities and community
colleges, including Caltech, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State
Northridge, Claremont Graduate School, Pasadena City College,
Pepperdine University, USC and UCLA.
     Two trade schools -- ITT Technical Institute and Los Angeles
Trade Tech -- were also represented. Pasadena Reads was on hand
to promote and aid in literacy for adults, while a variety of
in-house program sponsors took the opportunity to remind
employees that many services and classes can be tapped.
     Also, information booths were staffed by ACW, ACMA, Computer
Education, Library and Information Services, Occupational Safety
Office, Professional Development, Quality Assurance Training and
Certification Center, Software Engineering and Assurance and
Tuition Reimbursement.
     The Fair, which was organized by Michael Chilicki, senior
personnel specialist, Section 615, offered Lab staff the
opportunity to find out more information related to continuing
their education and furthering their careers here. "We organized
the project in response to a request from the ACW," he explained.
     "Historically, we'd put on a fair every four or five years,"
but as he noted, due to the positive response from attendees and
participating schools, "we're considering holding another fair
next year."
     Chilicki estimated that hundreds of people stopped by to
grab collateral and find out about enrollment. A common
sentiment, he explained, was peoples' intention to return to
school, but a lack of time to do the necessary research and
endure the application process.
     "Many people remarked that this was so convenient to have
the schools in one place. They found it really motivating; it
gave them the chance to see the various educational opportunities
available to them."
     The participating schools and institutes were also delighted
with the results, he said. "The reps were very impressed by JPL
employees' attitudes about education. They rarely get groups like
ours," in fact, the school reps left empty-handed: They'd passed
out all of their materials. "And they all wish to be invited back
when we do it again." ###
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News briefs

     Researchers from JPL's Space Environment and Effects (SEE)
Program recently completed a series of meetings with the
Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (formerly Strategic
Defense Initiative) and outside contractors to analyze  how
various materials fare in the environment of low-earth orbit.
     Participants reviewed preliminary results from the
Evaluation of Oxygen Interactions with Materials (EOIM-3)
mission, which flew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour during
STS-47 in September 1992.
     The EOIM-3 mission was one of four planned missions over the
next two years. Each is designed to provide experimenters an
opportunity to expose materials to a low-earth orbit environment
where high levels of atomic oxygen are located.
     According to Dr. Ranty Liang, manager of JPL's BMDO Space
Effects Program, researchers at JPL hope to use results from
EOIM-3 and other future missions to study the development of a
ground-based test procedure that will allow scientists to
effectively predict what effects atomic oxygen exposure will have
on objects in orbit.
     "By creating a ground-based test methodology, we're hoping
to give more people the opportunity to get their materials
evaluated for use in space, because getting experiments into
space is very difficult to do," Liang said.
     Aerospace firms participating in the June 22-23 meetings in
Arcadia included Martin Marietta, Hughes, Boeing, McDonnell
Douglas and TRW.

     JPL's Medical Services Office reminds employees that they
can still participate in NASA's Annual Fitness Challenge.
     The competition ends Aug. 31, but employees can still enter
by picking up a "sports log" from Medical Services, Building 263.
The sports log has a list of categories for participation in
sports including weight training, running, jogging and swimming,
including requirements to meet each individual's personal fitness
challenge. Participants are able to go at their own pace and keep
track of their own progress.
     NASA Headquarters will present engraved plaques and
certificates to the top three centers with the highest employee
participation.
     For more information, call Medical Services at ext. 4-3320.
###
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JPL fellow develops new technique
for growing beta-silicon carbide

By Ed McNevin
     An innovative process to produce a semiconductor material
that will improve the performance of devices ranging from
spacecraft instruments to automobile engines has been developed
by a 1989 fellowship recipient from JPL.
     Virgil Shields, a doctoral student in Howard University's
Material Science Research Center of Excellence in Washington,
D.C., has developed a process to consistently produce
high-quality monocrystalline beta-silicon carbide at very high
bulk growth rates.
     "You can consider a transition from thin film to bulk growth
rates as being roughly 100 microns (of beta-silicon carbide) per
hour," Shields said. "Producing 100 microns per hour of this
material has engendered a great deal of interest."
     Dr. Michael Spencer, who directs Howard University's
Materials Science Research Center of Excellence, served as
Shields' advisor on the project.
     Shields' findings represent an important advance in attempts
by researchers to develop new materials that will allow
semiconductors and electro-optic circuitry to work faster and
more efficiently in extreme temperature and radiation
environments.
     Because of its properties, beta-silicon carbide is useful
for electronic devices on spacecraft that must work effectively
in harsh radiation or high-temperature environments. High-quality
beta-silicon carbide will also benefit sensors and electronics
found in jet and automobile engines.
     According to Shields, researchers from around the world have
attempted to grow bulk amounts of beta-silicon carbide crystals,
but have met with limited success. Before his breakthrough,
high-quality beta-silicon carbide crystals had never been
consistently grown in bulk amounts.
     "We have demonstrated a 300 percent improvement in quality
so far," Shields said.
     "Our initial goal was to be able to produce bulk
beta-silicon carbide crystals with a consistent growth process
that could be sustained," Shields said. "Our secondary goal was
to produce material at a high enough growth rate that was
commercially useful."
     He noted that the only current limitation to producing
larger amounts of beta-silicon carbide is researcher fatigue.
     "Right now, growth times are extended to 10 hours, at growth
rates up to 130 microns per hour," Shields said.
     JPL's Minority Fellowship Program, sponsored by the Lab's
Minority Science and Engineering Initiatives Office and funded by
NASA's Office of Space Science, enables JPL employees from
underrepresented minorities to pursue graduate degrees while
remaining on the Laboratory staff.
     Shields, who expects to complete his work on a Ph.D. in
electrical engineering this year, is one of 12 employees selected
for JPL's Minority Fellowship Program since it was founded in
1989. ###
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Lab artists' work spices up director's offices

By Karre Marino
     The artworks of 12 JPL employees were chosen by a panel of
three art experts June 28 in the Labwide search for art to
decorate the ninth floor Director's Office suite in Building 180.
     Most of the artists submitted photography, with a wide
variety of subjects, including underwater scenes, rock
formations, desert and forest settings, and the stars. Other
media included acrylic, ceramics and oil on canvas.
     Artists whose works were selected are: Teresa Bailey,
Section 644; Ken Bartos, Section 333, Richard Caputo, Section
311; Maryellen Eltgroth, Section 375; Amor Halperin, Section 332;
Dr. John Houseman, Section 524; Steve Larson, Section 386; Bob
Rydgig, Section 332; Marc Sarrel, Section 384; George Shultz,
Section 648; Philip Turner, Section 313; and Paul Wamhof, Section
336.
     The panel of judges included Jay Belloli, director of
Gallery Programs, Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena; Linda
Brownridge, president of the Pasadena Art Alliance; and Stanley
C. Wilson, professor of Art at Cal Poly Pomona. The judges then
helped Judy Smith, administrative assistant to Lab Director Dr.
Edward Stone, find the perfect spot for the art.
     "Everyone is very pleased with how the suite looks," said
Smith, who initiated the search.
     A reception to honor the artists, whose work will be on
display for at least 12 months, will be held in the next few
weeks. ###

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