THE MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUTICAL...

1SPACE TIMES • September/October 2009

THE MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICANASTRONAUTICAL SOCIETYISSUE 5 VOLUME 48

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2009

2 SPACE TIMES • September/October 2009

T H E M A G A Z I N E O F T H E A M E R I C A N A S T R O N A U T I C A L S O C I E T Y

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2009

ISSUE 5–VOLUME 48

AAS OFFICERSPRESIDENT

Frank A. Slazer, Northrop GrummanEXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Lyn D. Wigbels, RWI International Consulting ServicesVICE PRESIDENT–TECHNICAL

Srinivas R. Vadali, Texas A&M UniversityVICE PRESIDENT–PROGRAMS

Kathy J. NadoVICE PRESIDENT–PUBLICATIONS

David B. Spencer, Penn State UniversityVICE PRESIDENT–STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS ANDOUTREACH

Mary Lynne Dittmar, Dittmar AssociatesVICE PRESIDENT–MEMBERSHIP

Patrick McKenzie, Ball AerospaceVICE PRESIDENT–EDUCATION

Angela Phillips DiazVICE PRESIDENT–FINANCE

Carol S. Lane, Ball AerospaceVICE PRESIDENT–INTERNATIONAL

Clayton Mowry, Arianespace, Inc.VICE PRESIDENT–PUBLIC POLICY

Peggy Finarelli, George Mason University/CAPRLEGAL COUNSEL

Franceska O. Schroeder, Fish & Richardson P.C.EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

James R. Kirkpatrick, AAS

AAS BOARD OF DIRECTORSTERM EXPIRES 2009Marc S. AllenA. William Beckman, The Boeing CompanySteven Brody, International Space UniversityAshok R. Deshmukh, Technica, Inc.Graham Gibbs, Canadian Space AgencySteven D. Harrison, BAE SystemsArthur F. ObenschainRonald J. Proulx, Charles Stark Draper LaboratoryIan Pryke, George Mason University/CAPRTrevor C. Sorensen, University of Hawaii

TERM EXPIRES 2010Linda Billings, George Washington UniversityRonald J. Birk, Northrop GrummanRebecca L. Griffin, GriffinSpace LLCHal E. Hagemeier, National Security Space OfficeDennis Lowrey, General DynamicsMolly Kenna Macauley, Resources for the FutureErin Neal, ATKLesa B. RoeRosanna Sattler, Posternak Blankstein & Lund LLPRobert H. Schingler, Jr.Woodrow Whitlow, Jr.

TERM EXPIRES 2011Peter M. Bainum, Howard UniversityRobert H. Bishop, University of Texas at AustinMark K. Craig, SAICJ. Walter Faulconer, Applied Physics LaboratoryJonathan T. Malay, Lockheed MartinChristopher Nelson, Oceaneering Space SystemsSuneel Sheikh, ASTER Labs, Inc.Patricia Grace Smith, Aerospace Consultant,

Patti Grace Smith ConsultingGregg Vane, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

SPACE TIMES EDITORIAL STAFFEDITOR, Jeffrey P. Elbel

PHOTO & GRAPHICS EDITOR, Dustin DoudPRODUCTION MANAGER, Diane L. Thompson

BUSINESS MANAGER, James R. Kirkpatrick

SPACE TIMES is published bimonthly by the American AstronauticalSociety, a professional non-profit society. SPACE TIMES is free tomembers of the AAS. Individual subscriptions may be ordered fromthe AAS Business Office. © Copyright 2009 by the AmericanAstronautical Society, Inc. Printed in the United States of America.ISSN 1933-2793.

PERIODICALSSPACE TIMES, magazine of the AAS, bimonthly, volume 48,2009—$80 domestic, $95 foreignThe Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, quarterly, volume 57,2009—$170 domestic, $190 foreignTo order these publications, contact the AAS Business Office.

REPRINTSReprints are available for all articles in SPACE TIMES and all pa-pers published in The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 3

FEATURESClimate Links - Space Solutions to Climate Change 4Masters students at the International Space University share the results oftheir survey of the space industry relative to rising levels of greenhousegases and provide a proposed network of synchronized ground baseddata collection devices.by Axel Bergman and Zisis Petrou on behalf of the ISU Climate Links Team

The Fast Imaging Plasma Spectrometer on MESSENGERto Mercury 9An instrument developed by University of Michigan’s Space Physics ResearchLab travels with MESSENGER to detect the presence of water on planet Mercury.by Dustin Doud

Orbiting Strasbourg: The Masters Program at the InternationalSpace University 13The ISU experience is shared by the 2008 Lady Mamie Ngan MemorialScholarship awardee Garrett Smith.by Garrett Smith

TECHNICAL CONFERENCE33rd Annual Guidance and Control Conference 16

UPCOMING EVENTS 19

AAS NEWSAAS Annual Awards and Fellows 20

AAS Imagine ‘09: Ideas at Work 21

NOTES ON NEW BOOKSDigital Apollo: Human and Machine in Spaceflight 222008 AAS Eugene M. Emme Astronautical Literature Award WinnerReviewed by Donald C. Elder III

Road to Mach 10: Lessons Learned from the X-43A FlightResearch Program 23Reviewed by Rick W. Sturdevant

6352 Rolling Mill Place, Suite 102Springfield, VA 22152-2370 USATel: 703-866-0020 Fax: [email protected] www.astronautical.org

SPACE TIMES • September/October 2009 3

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Advancing All Space

Frank A. [email protected]

ON THE COVERFRONT: Timbuktu, Mali as seen by the ASTER imager aboard the Terra spacecraft. Timbuktu is at the intersection of an east-west and north-southTrans-Saharan trade route across the Sahara in West Africa (Source: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS and US/Japan Science Team)

BACK: NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper, an instrument on the Indian Space Research Organization’s Chandrayaan-1 mission, took this image ofEarth’s moon. Small amounts of water were detected on the surface of the moon at various locations. Blue shows the signature of water, green showsthe brightness of the surface as measured by reflected infrared radiation from the sun and red shows an iron-bearing mineral called pyroxene. (Source:ISRO/NASA/JPL-Caltech/Brown University/USGS)

The recent report of the Review of Human Space Flight Plans Committee is sobering in itsassessment that the current US spaceflight program is on an unsustainable trajectory. Its conclusionthat the resources planned for human space flight are insufficient to do any human explorationprogram until the 2030s, if ever, are not surprising to those of us who support a robust spaceexploration program given the recent history of NASA not being funded adequately compared towhat was planned when its exploration mission was announced. This report clearly shows that todo a meaningful human exploration program, additional resources will be needed.

As our nation faces the biggest national debt since World War II, and with the oncoming fiscaltsunami of medical and social security payments needed to support retiring baby boomers, it is worth asking some obvious questions.Why spend more on human space exploration, and, even if it is worthwhile, why spend it now? After all, the Moon and other possibleplaces for exploration are not going anywhere. Why not just wait until our budgets are balanced, our baby boomer demographictransition is complete, and our technologies are more advanced?

In fact, the timing will never be perfect, all Earthly problems will never be eradicated, and there will always be other competingpriorities. But when our nation’s future role in the world is under question, when our economy lacks enough good paying jobs for ourworkforce, and when we need to motivate millions of young Americans to pursue careers in science, mathematics, or engineering inorder to assure a strong future, a robust human exploration program is an important investment in our nation’s future. Spending onspace exploration is not spending on consumption. It is an investment in our future and a sign of enduring American optimism andconfidence that our best times as a nation are ahead.

To use a now out of favor historical analogy, what if the rulers of Spain in the late 15th Century, after the protracted reconquistaeffort to expel their Moorish occupiers, had decided, instead of sending Columbus on his voyage of discovery, to focus on a domesticreconstruction program and wait on exploring until a means had been developed to fly people through the air over long distances athundreds of miles an hour? Surely, what happens in this scenario would be quite different than what actually did result for Spain -three centuries of Western hemisphere dominance, great power status, and treasure from its new possessions. But for the post-medieval European discovery of the Americas, the outcome might not have been much different. Several city states in Italy, Portugal,and others also were advancing their maritime technology just as other nations today continue to develop and advance their spaceexploration capabilities. If not Spain, then some other European nation would surely still have benefited from the Americas as othersdid soon after Columbus, as other voyagers followed. Similarly, if the US does not engage in human exploration of the solar system– either on our own but hopefully as part of an international effort – others will still go without us.

In exploring new places, you can never truly know what you will get once you get there. But you can be certain, if we don’t go,others will – and the benefits of exploration will disproportionately go to them, also.

Rethinking Columbus


Climate Links – Space Solutions to ClimateChangeINTERNATIONAL SPACE UNIVERSITY (ISU) 2009 TEAM PROJECTA terrestrial data collection network complementing satellite observations

by Axel Bergman and Zisis Petrou for the entire ISU Climate Links team (see chart at end)

As one of the two team projects duringthe academic year from September 2008through August 2009, Masters students atthe International Space University (ISU)in Strasbourg, France, performed a surveyof what was being done in the spaceindustry relating to rising levels ofgreenhouse gases and proposed acomplimentary network of synchronizedground based data collection devices.Developing countries are hit the hardestdue to the effects of climate change andyet these regions are the least monitoredfor surface carbon fluxes. The proposedClimate Links system is a solution that willadd value to satellite-based climateobservations by introducingcomplementary in-situ data collection. Theprogram is envisioned to begin with a pilotproject in Nigeria for initial ‘GreenBox’deployment and setup of data managementstructure and procedures. The proposedClimate Links infrastructure would also bedesigned to eventually accommodatecitizen science with data acquired fromhand held mobile devices such as a‘GreenPhone’.

IntroductionThe latest measurement taken from

Mauna Loa Observatory in July 2009places the total concentration ofatmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) at 388parts per million (ppm). Ice coremeasurements have shown that over thelast 400,000 years, Earth has a naturalcycle of CO2 that typically stays under the300 ppm mark; meaning that no living

organism before today has lived with thecurrent amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.When analyzing historical data, trying tosort out the evolution of climate warmingand cooling cycles is difficult, because theEarth’s climate depends on theinterrelationship between the atmosphere,oceans, land and biosphere. However,whether one accepts that human-causedsources of CO2 are considerable or not,today’s climate change is easier to interpretas atmospheric CO2 is rising faster thanany other climate variable.

CO2 is part of a family of greenhousegas compounds that trap heat into theatmosphere and radiate it back towards theearth’s surface, thus raising the overallaverage temperature of our planet. It is rareto scan the news these days and not findheadlines related to the impacts of globalwarming: flooding in an area that hasusually been dry, unusually violent snowstorms, intensity and increased frequencyof hurricanes, sea level rising due to meltingice caps or rise in death toll due toprolonged heat waves. An increasingnumber of scientists agree that globalwarming represents the greatest challengethat humanity has ever faced. NASA’s Dr.James Hensen, one of the first to describethe onset and effects of global warming,has set an ideal target of 350 ppm as a safelevel of atmospheric CO2. Achieving thislevel requires a prompt, worldwide shift inpolicy that would significantly change thebasis of our economy, technology and ourway of life. This kind of rapid overhaul ofour society requires enormous political will,

acting with convincing forethought inmitigating a potential doom that we cannotcompletely comprehend. To achieve thismassive change, decision makers need tohave access to accurate climate models, inaddition to receiving political pressurefrom an increasingly aware and activeelectorate.

The mission of the Climate Links projectis to help with long-term climate modelingby creating a ground level network of“GreenBoxes” that collect data on the fluxof greenhouse gases in order tocomplement satellite-based measurements.Moreover, data would be publicallyaccessible and managed in such a way thatany climate scientist would have freeaccess to the standardized information.Once the network of GreenBoxes is wellestablished, public participation can beintroduced into the framework throughminiature sensors that can be installed ona “GreenPhone” where individuals couldtake a reading, share data, and downloadimportant weather patterns in their areasusing their portable cellular phones.

How Does Climate Links Fit In?The space industry has had a long

history of providing key climate modelinginformation with over a hundred satellites,each equipped with at least one instrumentmeasuring an earth climate variable suchas temperature, wind speed, cloud cover,level of greenhouse gases, ozoneconcentration, etc. Some specific examplesinclude Envisat, Odin, EOS-Aura, andGOSAT. Some of these are depicted in


Figure 1. Other deep space missions havealso been instrumental in understandingEarth’s climate system. One example isSOHO, which orbits around the Sun-EarthLagrangian point and measures incidentradiation. Missions to Venus have also

Figure 1: Earth observation satellites taking ECVs measurements from the space environment(Source: Kyrola, 2006)

been instrumental in understanding thegreenhouse effects of a CO2 richatmosphere.

With current and future space basedmonitoring of the atmosphere, the realstrength of space infrastructure is theability to scan vast areas of the planet in ashort period of time. Although theinformation gathered has been of greatvalue to climatologists, the current need (asidentified by the Space Studies Board, theNational Research Council and a numberof climate scientists) is to complementsatellite data with ground-based in-situdata. Traditionally, this has been difficultto achieve because it requires scientificteams to go into the field and take

measurements at precisely the same timeas an Earth Observation satellite passesover. Furthermore, ground teams may havedifferent measurement protocols, makinganalysis difficult to interpret whencombining data from different sources.

Consequently, there is a lack ofcommunication between ground and spacemeasurement communities, as neither isentirely sure how to mesh the acquired datain such a way as to obtain meaningfulresults. The Climate Links project seeksto bridge the ground vs. space gap bybringing together existing technologiessuch as solar panels, smart sensors, GPS,and telecommunications to create a groundnetwork which is synchronized withexisting and future space infrastructure tohelp build better climate models.

Climate Links – System OverviewThe implementation of the Climate

Links network would be divided into

several phases. The ultimate aim is toachieve a similar infrastructure as the onedepicted in Figure 2.

Phase 1 of Climate Links would createa network of GreenBoxes which would bestrategically placed around the world.These would be able to acquire data froma variety of locations, ranging from urbancenters to sensitive ecological areas, andfrom large ships to airplanes. TheGreenBox itself would come in differentformats depending on specific needs, butwould include some basic technicalcharacteristics:

- A high level of power autonomy- A robust gas chromatography system

for measuring greenhouse gases- Ability for telecommunications to

facilitate control and allow data to be easilydownloaded from a distance

- Smart sensors able to synchronize withpassing Earth observation satellites

Data from the GreenBoxes would betransferred through the existing cellularphone network or through satellite channelsto a central data center. In Figure 2, thedata center is shown as a central repositorywhere data would be processed. Datawould be redistributed through websitesdesigned to appeal to the scientificcommunity, as well as provide interactiveinformation for individuals interested inparticipating with Climate Links. As thenetwork of GreenBoxes, the technologymatures, and data processing is established,the “GreenPhone” may be introduced ...but more on that later.

ImplementationBy now, you might be thinking that

we’re just a bunch of dreamers - especiallysince we want to make this data freelyavailable and include public participation.With the appropriate government andprivate sector partners, we believe that wecan offer services that would provideimmediate benefits. In phase one ofClimate Links, we propose to introduce theGreenBoxes in equatorial regions. Thiswould allow testing of the GreenBox invarious climate conditions on a relativelysmall surface area. More importantly, there


Figure 2: Climate Links system overview and communication

has been little data collected from theseregions despite their importance from aclimate modeling perspective. Theseregions constitute the bulk of the Earth’sbiosphere production, and may well be themost vulnerable to climate change. In ourcurrent proposal, Nigeria seems to be thebest fit for our needs. Geographically,Nigeria offers varied climatic conditionsthat would enable Climate Links’ engineersto test and validate the functionality of theGreenBox (Figure 3). Nigeria also offersan established cellular network throughwhich the Greenboxes can beinterconnected, and there is relativepolitical stability that can support such pilotprojects.

From the Nigerian perspective, there isan expressed need to increase themonitoring and data gathering of weatherprofiles through the country. Although theyhave a vibrant national space agency,Nigerian climatologists often do not haveaccess to data acquired from space and arelimited by inconsistencies of ground stationoperators. As a developing nation in an

equatorial region, and with over 800 kmof coast line, Nigerians are particularlysusceptible to global warming and are quiteaware that proactive measures should betaken.

Climate Links’ partnership with Nigeriacould occur directly, or through otherorganisms currently working within thecountry. For example, the BuildingNigeria’s Response to Climate Change(BNRCC) project, partly funded by theCanadian government, is aimed atincreasing Nigeria’s ability to adapt to thecurrent and anticipated effects of climatechange. Additionally, the BNRCC worksat the community level in villages mostvulnerable to climate change in order toencourage action and help Nigerians makeinformed, sustainable decisions. Thesevaluable contacts may facilitate theimplementation of the Climate Links andalso serve to illustrate the generalreceptiveness of the Nigerian people tosuch projects. Moreover, there arenumerous other organizations andindividuals within Nigeria working to

promote climate change action.Consequently, the Nigerian Climate ActionNetwork was created with the purpose ofbringing these organizations andindividuals together in support of theircommon goal. NigeriaCAN also works incollaboration with the Nigeriangovernment to assist the development ofclimate change policies and programs. Theexistence of such an organization, itsmembers, and their close relationship to theNigerian government illustrates howaddressing climate change has become akey part of Nigeria’s strategy for the future.Partnership with Climate Links would bewithin the current mandate of governmentleaders and aid organizations alike.

Once the functionality of the GreenBoxand the data center is validated in Nigeria,Climate Links hopes to setup a frameworkfor partnership with neighboring countriesto sequentially expand so that the networkof GreenBoxes would eventually cover theentire African equatorial region. Thechallenges and risks of starting a state ofthe art project in these regions are too manyto list in this short article; however, theurgent need to gain detailed information onthe flux of CO2 in these regions isparamount to understanding the evolutionof one of Earth’s major carbon sinks.

What Does a Climate Links Future LookLike?

As mentioned before and as shown inFigure 2, the ultimate goal is to grow aworldwide network of GreenBoxes capableof on-demand data collection of greenhousegases from the ground. The GreenBoxwould eventually evolve to becomingmobile where families would be able totake it with them and make scientificmeasurements part of the campingexperience. Future renditions of theGreenBox would also include mobile datacollection where the box could be placedon boats, trains, or cars and transmit CO2gradients. As the technology continues tominiaturize, a parallel development of the“GreenPhone” could be introduced.

Aside from improving climate modelsfor decision makers, one of the major


Figure 3: Monthly averages of climate variables for three cities in Nigeria (Adapted fromAllmetsat, 2009)

objectives of Climate Links is to promoteparticipatory science. One would have tobe living under a shell not to be aware atleast somewhat of effects of globalwarming. At the same time the problemseems almost insurmountable as it requiresdrastic changes in lifestyle and industrialstructure around the world. As a result,many feel disengaged from the issuebecause there is no way to make an easycontribution. From the Climate Linksperspective, the best way to makeparticipation as easy as possible is to tapinto a routine that billions are alreadyaccustomed to: answering your cell phone(Figure 4).

According to a recent United Nationsreport, six in ten people now own a mobilephone. Between 2002 and the end of 2008subscriptions went up from one to fourbillion worldwide, compared to fixed linesthat increased at a much slower rate fromone to 1.27 billion in that same time period.Developing nations have made it clear thatmobile phones are the technology of choicewith 2/3 of total ownership coming fromthese regions. In fact, in conversations withbig cell phone brands such as Nokia, third

world countries constitute their testmarkets. These countries are where theyfind the early adopters to new technology.As mobile phones become moresophisticated, they are trending away frombeing a simple communication devicetowards being a networked personal

information system. With the currentpropagation of mobile phones and newdevelopment in miniature sensortechnology, it is only a matter of a few yearsbefore cell phone users will be able tomeasure the content of the air they breathe.By working with Climate Links, phonemanufactures could design a GreenPhonethat prompts users to acquire climate dataat the same time as certain EarthObservation satellites pass overhead. Thedata acquired from the ground would be insync with the data acquired from thesatellite, eliminating the issue of delayedground-based data that we so oftenexperience today. Moreover, GreenPhoneowners would know that the data that theyare acquiring from their new mobile phoneis actually being used by climatologists andwould therefore be almost effortlesslyparticipating in solutions to globalwarming. In return for their contribution,several incentive schemes could be devisedvarying from an exchange of informationall the way to tax or subsidy credits. Thequality of the data acquired would be ratedaccording to the baseline provided by theGreenBoxes and the quantity of data pointsfor every time point of data. As thecommunication systems evolve,participants may be able to providephotographic evidence of climatic events,such as development of drought orecological degradation due to globalwarming. Over time, data collected fromthe GreenPhones would provideclimatologists with a detailedunderstanding of the environment in whichmost people are living, enabling betterproactive mitigating measures to globalwarming.

ConclusionThe jury may still be out regarding

whether human activity is the main causefor global warming, but the current datashows an alarming rate of increase inatmospheric CO2, which is a member ofthe greenhouse gas family of compounds.Though it is possible to curb and evendecrease the total concentration ofgreenhouse gases, this would require

Figure 4: Artist conception of participatorysensing with the GreenPhone


Megan AnsdellAstrophysicsUSA

Bolarinwa O. BalogunEnvironmental Control and ManagementNigeria

Axel BergmanProject ManagementCanada/France

James BarthMechanical EngineeringCanada

Mario CiaramicoliElectrical EngineeringCanada/Italy

Hugo André CostaPhysicsPortugal

Dohy FaiedPhysics and AstrophysicsUSA

Eamon O’GormanTheoretical PhysicsIreland

Doug HemingwaySpace Systems EngineeringCanada/UK

Heather HenryChemistry and PhysicsCanada

Farnoud KazemzadehPhysics and AstrophysicsCanada/Iran

James MasonPhysics, Astrophysics, and Space SciencesSouth Africa

Leah E. McCarrickMathematicsUSA

extraordinary worldwide action that wouldsignificantly change the mode of operationof industry. As a result, world leaders needassurances from accurate climate modelsof the pitfalls of continuously increasinglevels of CO2. Moreover, individuals needto be sensitized to the evolution of theirenvironment with new ways ofparticipating in a global solution to globalwarming.

Climate Links seeks to address bothissues by creating a network of automated,ground-based greenhouse gas measurementdevices. The GreenBox would besynchronized with the passage of EarthObservation satellites providingcomplimentary data. Information fromthese boxes would be freely available toboth the scientific community andconcerned citizens interested in the latestclimate information. As the network growsClimate Links would include data comingfrom portable versions of the GreenBox,as well as eventual GreenPhones thatwould have the potential of reaching asignificant amount of users worldwide.

Aside from the technical novelty ofClimate Links, the hope is that this willbecome a movement for change thatoriginated in developing equatorial nations.Testing and development of the GreenBoxwould take place in Nigeria and hopefullyexpand to neighboring countries. The thirdworld countries have emerged as earlyadopters of new technology, especially inthe mobile phone market. This makes thesecountries the perfect test bed location for anew GreenPhone capable of sensinggreenhouse gases, as well as synchronizingwith earth observation satellites.

Fred Joe NambalaAstrophysics and Space ScienceZambia

Sanket NayakAstronautical EngineeringIndia

Assaf PeerIndustrial Engineering and ManagementIsrael

Zisis PetrouElectrical and Computer EngineeringGreece

Hansdieter SchweigerMechanical Engineering and ManagementAustria

Daria ShapovalovaSpace Systems EngineeringRussia

Garrett SmithAerospace EngineeringUSA/France

Michael SoulageMechanical EngineeringFrance

Erin Fritzler TegnerudSystems EngineeringUSA

Kaupo VoormansikInformation TechnologyEstonia

Jeremy WebbPhysics and AstrophysicsCanada

Diego UrbinaElectronics EngineeringColombia/Italy

Abdul Raof ZahariAerospace EngineeringMalaysia

For further information about theInternational Space University, itsprograms, and other team projects, pleasevisit the ISU website at www.isunet.edu.

The full report of the entire ISU ClimateLinks team can be accessed from the ISUwebsite under ISU Publications: ‘StudentReports’.ISU CLIMATE LINKS TEAM


The Fast Imaging Plasma Spectrometer onMESSENGER to Mercuryby Dustin Doud

On November 3, 1973, the Mariner 10spacecraft was launched and began itsjourney to observe Mercury and Venus.During its close flybys of Mercury in 1974and 1975, the spacecraft observed thatMercury has a substantial internalmagnetic field. This magnetic field supportsa small magnetosphere that looks similarto Earth’s, including a bow-shock,

magnetopause and magnetotail. Beforethese observations were made, it wasthought that Mercury’s magnetic dynamohad ceased its function, because the planethad cooled. These new data begged moredetailed questions about Mercury,including details of the planet’s internalmagnetic field, magnetosphere and sparseatmosphere.

Thirty-one years later, on August 3,2004, a Boeing Delta II rocket waslaunched carrying the Mercury Surface,Space Environment, Geochemistry andRanging (MESSENGER) probe. One ofthe science payloads on boardMESSENGER is the Fast Imaging PlasmaSpectrometer (FIPS) instrument, whichwas designed and developed by the

Diagram of Mercury’s Magnetosphere (Source: Solar and Heliospheric Research Group (SHRG)/ University of Michigan)


University of Michigan Space PhysicsResearch Lab (SPRL). FIPS is able tocharacterize low energy ions and therebydetermine the composition of Mercury’ssparse atmosphere using an innovativedirect sampling design. Unlikeobservations made by a telescope or radarbased instrument, FIPS makes itsobservations in situ. This is the onlypractical means of measuring such lowdensity ions. FIPS characterizes ionizedspecies as a function of their energy-percharge ratio (E/q). It does this byallowing only ions of a specific energyrange to pass through its two majorcomponents, the Electro Static Analyzer(ESA) and the Time of Flight (TOF)System.

As the ions are collected, they first passthrough the ESA. The ESA acts as anenergy-per-charge filter, allowing only avery specific range to pass through. It doesthis by limiting the position and the velocityof ions to a small band that is symmetricabout the ESA axis. The ion’s trajectoriesare then curved by an electrostatic field andforced to pass through a collimator. Afterthe ions have been filtered, but before theypass into the TOF system, they areaccelerated through a carbon foil. As theion passes through the carbon foil, lowenergy electrons from the foil are emittedwith the ion and trigger the start of a precisetimer. The ion travels a known distance –the length of the TOF system – before it

FIPS instrument (Source: Solar and HeliosphericResearch Group (SHRG)/ University of Michigan)

Verification of the Sensor Alignment During the Ion Beam Calibration (Source: Solar and HeliosphericResearch Group (SHRG)/ University of Michigan)

reaches a sensor that stops the timer. Thetime of flight measured by FIPS is the timetaken to cross a known distance.

FIPS is an innovative breakthrough inlow mass and low power plasma massspectrometry. Previous spaceflight versionstypically required more than 5 kg of massand 5 W of power. In contrast, FIPS has amass of 1.41 kg and uses 1.9 W of averagepower.

Using a known E/q from the ESA andthe measured time of flight, it is possible todetermine an ion’s mass-per-charge ratio(m/q). FIPS samples and records ion mass-per-charge data in discrete bins. Thedistribution of sample abundance versus m/q is used to determine the composition ofthe Mercury atmosphere. Distinct peaks inthe sample abundance at particular m/qvalues can be identified with particularatmospheric constituents.

The first MESSENGER flyby ofMercury occurred on January 14, 2008. Atthat time, FIPS made the first evermeasurements of ions in the spaceenvironment around Mercury and from theplanet Mercury itself. It successfully

sampled Mercury’s sparse atmosphere andshowed that it contained carbon, oxygen,sodium, magnesium, and silicon ions,among others (see sidebar article). Itsampled something else that was lessexpected: Water ions. The presence ofwater had been theorized, based onprevious radar observations made fromEarth, but FIPS provided the first in situconfirmation of its presence.

Just as the Mariner 10 Mercury flybypiqued scientist’s interest in Mercury in1973, the in situ discovery byMESSENGER of water in Mercury’satmosphere raises new questions abouthow water is formed or delivered there.One theory suggests that water might bereleased from the shaded craters onMercury, another that it might be deliveredby comets. A third theory proposes thatwater is chemically generated on-the-flyas the solar wind interacts with Mercuryand its weak magnetic field. These andother explanations will continue to beinvestigated and debated asMESSENGER enters into orbit aroundMercury in the coming years.


MESSENGER Observations of the Composition of Mercury’s IonizedExosphere and Plasma Environment

FIPS measured the mass-per-charge (m/q) spectrum of ions in Mercury’s exosphereduring the January 2008 MESSENGERflyby of the planet. Ions with a m/q < 4(H+ and He++) largely originate from the

solar wind; ions with a m/q >10 aregenerally produced locally. Ions with a m/q of 23-24 (Na+ plus Mg+) are clearly themost dominant heavy ions (see Table).Neutral Na has been observed remotely

from Earth and also during theMESSENGER flyby. Although Na+dominates, several secondary peaks(around m/q = 16 to 18, 32 to 36, 28, and39 to 40) also stand out. These peaks are

Table 1. Observations of the composition of Mercury’s ionized exosphere and plasma environment (Source: Solar and Heliospheric Research Group(SHRG)/ University of Michigan)

*Abundance (relative to the sum of Na+ and Mg+) of the sum of ions and molecular ions listed in column 2. Uncertainties aredominated by limited counting statistics.

Dustin Doud is a senior engineer forOrbital Sciences Corporation andgraphics editor for Space Times. Thisarticle was recently presented in theannual report for the University ofMichigan’s Space Physics ResearchLaboratory.

identified, respectively, as predominantlyO+ and water-group ionized molecules; S+and H2S+; and the surface-bound mineralcomponents Si+, K+, and Ca+. However,additional contributions to ions in thedominant peaks from nearby elements andfrom various molecular species cannot beruled out (some are listed in the table).

The abundances of Si and especially ofNa and S relative to O in the solar windare too low and their ionization states toohigh to account for the abundances of theseions. Their source is, therefore, eitherMercury’s surface or its exosphere.

FIPS performs measurements of thenormalized He++ flux and the protonenergy distribution once every 8 secondsin a stepping sequence from E/q = 0.1 to13 keV/e-. Normalized fluxes of ions aremeasured in specified m/q ranges. Samplesof the measurements made during theJanuary 2008 Mercury flyby are shown atleft, keyed to the location of themeasurement relative to the Mercury spaceplasma environment. FIPS detectedvariations in composition due to changesin the plasma characteristics and tovariations in the obstruction geometry fromthe spacecraft sunshade, one of the solarpanels and other spacecraft structures. Thefluxes of heavy ions (with 10 < m/q < 42)are largest near the planet but are also

Table 2. Abundance ratios of possible ions and molecular ions relative to Na+ plus Mg+ (Source:Solar and Heliospheric Research Group (SHRG)/ University of Michigan)

A view of Mercury captured by the Narrow AngleCamera aboard MESSENGER. Source: NASA/JHU APL/Carnegie Institute of Washington(Source: Solar and Heliospheric Research Group(SHRG)/ University of Michigan)


found throughout the magnetosphere.Vertical dashed lines in the figure denotethe crossing of the bow shock (green), themagnetopause (blue), and the point ofclosest approach (red), based on magneticfield data.

Orbiting Strasbourg: The Masters Program at theInternational Space Universityby Garrett Smith

I’ve been passionate about all things space ever since I was akid. The biggest influence was Saturday morning cartoons whereI traveled on countless intergalactic voyages with my favorite spaceheroes. Although the names of those heroes are now forgottenwith time, my enthusiasm and drive are still burning. In my youth,I built countless Lego starships only to destroy them minutes laterin harrowing battles against my brother’s fleet. In my teens, Ibuilt model rockets, and in my professional life, I have beensidetracked by aircraft…until now.

Thanks to the American Astronautical Society, I had the goodfortune of being able to return to school in September 1st, 2008and graduate August 31st, 2009, with a Masters of Science inSpace Management from the International Space University (ISU).I am very thankful for being awarded the $10,000 Lady MamieNgan Memorial Scholarship that helped offset a significant portionof the tuition.

Celebrating our ISU arrival with one of the co-founders. Left to right: GarrettSmith, Bob Richards, Doug Hemingway, Curtis Iwata (Source: DougHemingway)

Left: Garrett and his family at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeleswhere they observed Saturn through their public telescope just afternightfall. Left to right: Garrett, Evanne, Céline, Luka (Source: GarrettSmith). Right: Garrett’s children (and future ISU students), Luka andEvanne, in front of the Apollo 13 mock-up at Universal Studios themepark during his internship for SpacePortLeisure (Source: Céline Smith)

Indeed, going back to school, with a stay-at-home wife, twokids, and a mortgage payment, presented a significantorganizational and financial challenge. In addition to the supportfrom the AAS, I received a scholarship from the CNES (FrenchNational Space Agency). However, the first four months at schoolin Strasbourg were nerve-racking because our savings were rapidlydwindling with only enough to keep the family supported throughDecember. Through good fortune and a calculated risk, I receiveda living stipend from a local agency for eight of the twelve monthsI was at school thereby averting a potential catastrophe.

ISU is not a typical school, yet I have wanted to attend since1999 when I first heard about it. My problem is being a space-aholic, and ISU is a fertile meeting ground for anyone with aspace addiction. Rather than trying to cure the condition, the facultyand staff feed it, providing exponential morsels of information,

guidance and learning. It is like a black hole…once past the eventhorizon, there is no turning back. Students persist, pass throughthe singularity and emerge in a new dimension, wholly changedand ready to innovate with the renowned “3I” approach:international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary.

The first indications of the originality are the homeworkassignments. These are all team initiatives. Individual intelligenceand effort are bounded by limits to self-expression andcommunication. Everyone is challenged to develop the requiredinterpersonal skills to share ideas and feed the group creativity.Listening is essential to comprehend both the content and rationalebehind a fellow students argument. Once the group dynamics aresettled, and this usually takes the majority of the allotted time,producing the results comes relatively easily. The teams arereshuffled between assignments so the process repeats thusreinforcing the learning cycle. The most memorable assignmentsincluded research on famous astronomers, lunar satellite design,remote sensing image analysis, interplanetary supply chainlogistics, legal argumentation and rock-collecting robotic Legorovers. The module exams, four hours each, are the one area whereindividual comprehension is evaluated and rewarded.

The personal side of ISU was very enriching. At thirty-fouryears old, I was well above the average age of twenty-eight butstill felt very welcome amongst the students. The fifty-one studentsrepresented thirty countries giving a very international feel to all



Garrett Smith is an aerospace engineer and manager forAirbus in Toulouse, France, and the 2008 recipient of theAAS Lady Mamie Ngan Memorial Scholarship. He iscurrently seeking to transition to the space industry. He maybe reached at [email protected].

Dads’ dinner at Garrett’s apartment. Left to right: Garrett Smith, BolarinwaBalogun, Li Cheng, Wang Hui, Adewale Momoh (Source: Li Cheng)

25 Place de la Cathedrale, a wonderful apartment to experience theStrasbourg city life (Source: Céline Smith)

of the school activities. There were five dads at school, two Chinese,two Nigerians, and myself, all with families back home. I wascertainly privileged because I was able to return to my home inToulouse, France, every second weekend to see my wife and kids.The other dads made a much greater sacrifice and returned totheir homes once or never during the year long program.

I had a great living situation, with two wonderful roommates,Doug and Curtis, in an apartment adjacent to the Strasbourgcathedral. The historic city center is full of unique Alsatianarchitecture and has a very lively spirit in the many public squares.The city is surrounded by the river Ill, and interweaved with severalcanals, one of which leads directly to ISU with a very pleasantbike path bordered by majestic trees that turn a myriad of colorsin the crisp autumn air. December brings a joyous feeling as theChristmas markets invade the city and merchants peddle theirwares, confectioners satisfy many a craving with pastries andsweets, and spiced wine chases away the winter chill. Spring arrivesunnoticed because we are all overworked with the team projectswhere twenty some students, caged in a realm of our own devising,are expected to spontaneously combust in a flash of brilliance tosolve tomorrow’s problems with space solutions.

And, finally, the summer brings us all to disperse to the farcorners of the world as we tackle the challenges of our internships.I returned to my home country, the USA, working in Los Angeles

for SpacePortLeisure, a start-up company based in South Africaand developing a futuristic space-themed destination resort innorthern Spain. As an aerospace engineer, I felt a bit out of placethrust into the middle of the LA entertainment world, collaboratingwith artists, TV producers, architects and story tellers. But theexperience was exhilarating, unconstrained by reality, where Icontributed to the guest visitor experience to blend science factand fiction into a compelling futuristic story where we become atrue space faring species.

Finally as the end of summer approaches, we all have toscramble to finalize our internship reports and prepare our finalpresentations. Once back in Strasbourg for our final week, weface exhaustion, from the hectic pace of activities, and exhilaration,from completing the defense of our projects. Tradition holds thatthe outgoing class introduces the incoming students to both theschool and the city. So I found myself organizing physicallychallenging activities, such as rope courses, canoeing, ultimatefrisbee, and volleyball which present opportunities to bond andcreate a kindred spirit within the ISU world. The impromptubarbecues, official welcome drink, and evening festivities are achance for the outgoing students to reminisce about the fine yearpassed together.

The ISU experience is unconventional by design, life changing,and profound. It focuses not on theoretical academics but onpersonal rigueur, forcing students to work together and learn theskills essential to leadership in an increasingly global world.Attending ISU is now a chapter in my life, inseparable from mybeing, and a bond I will forever share with my classmates. Isincerely thank the American Astronautical Society for makingthis year possible. I wish the best of luck to all future ISU studentsand to the honored recipients of the Lady Mamie Ngan MemorialScholarship.


33rd Annual Guidance and Control Conference

TECHNICAL CONFERENCE

February 5-10, 2010 Beaver Run Resort Breckenridge, Colorado

4:00 pm daily Room check-in at the Beaver Run Resort front desk6:00-10:00 am daily Conference registration4:00-6:00 pm daily Conference registration

Friday, February 56:00-8:00 pm Early registration6:00-9:00 pm “Wine and Cheese”

Saturday, February 67:00-10:00 am Session I – “Space Debris”Recent space collision events can be categorized as a disruptive moment in the history of space flight: Cosmos 1934 and Cerise were critically damaged in the 1990s from debrisimpacts; the 2006 Chinese anti-satellite test nearly doubled the number of catalogued fragments from 4,000 to 7,000; and in 2008, Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251 were completelydestroyed after colliding. The consequences of growing debris cross all lines of the space sector, placing astronauts at increased risk, prompting costly collision avoidancemaneuvers, reducing mission lifetimes, and degrading or even destroying missions. Incidents also cross political boundaries, straining international relationships and spurring a10-fold increase in US DoD investment in space surveillance. This session addresses the challenges of mitigating, tracking, and avoiding debris, both near-term strategies andlong-term opportunities.National ChairpersonsRobert Culp, University of Colorado, [email protected], 303-492-7974Nick Johnson, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, [email protected], 281-483-5313Local ChairpersonsMike Drews, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, [email protected], 303-971-3622Michael Osborne, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, [email protected], 303-977-5867

5:00-8:00 pm Session II – “Technical Exhibits”The Technical Exhibits Session is a unique opportunity to observe displays and demonstrations of state-of-the-art hardware, design and analysis tools, and services applicable toadvancement of guidance, navigation, and control technology. The latest commercial tools for GN&C simulations, analysis, and graphical displays are demonstrated in a hands-on, interactive environment, including lessons learned and undocumented features. Associated papers not presented in other sessions are also provided and can be discussed withthe author. Come and enjoy an excellent complimentary buffet, and interact with the technical representatives and authors. This session takes place in a social setting and familymembers are welcome.Local ChairpersonsScott Francis, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, [email protected], 303-977-8253Kristen Terry, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, [email protected], 303-971-7450Vanessa Baez, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, [email protected]

Sunday, February 77:00-10:00 am Session III – “Advances in GN&C Part 1 – Systems”Many programs depend on heritage, but the future is advanced by those willing to design and implement new and novel architectures, technologies, and algorithms to solve theGN&C problems. This session is open to papers with topics ranging from theoretical formulations to innovative systems and intelligent sensors that will advance the state of theart, reduce the cost of applications, and speed the convergence to hardware, numerical, or design trade solutions.National ChairpersonBrian Dorland, U.S. Naval Observatory, [email protected], 202-762-0134Thomas Strikwerda, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, [email protected], 240-228-5847Local ChairpersonsKyle Miller, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., [email protected], 303-939-5505Chris Randall, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., [email protected], 303-939-6732

2:00-4:00 pm Session IV – “Advances in GN&C Part 2 – Hardware”National ChairpersonsStephen P. Airey, European Space Agency, [email protected], +31 (0)71 565 5295Local ChairpersonsKyle Miller, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., [email protected], 303-939-5505Chris Randall, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., [email protected], 303-939-6732

Monday, February 87:00-10:00 am Session V – “Precise Orbital Determination”Orbit determination is accomplished with a wide variety of methods, varying from ground ranging, to GPS measurements, to DSN observations and landmark navigation aroundother planetary bodies. Similarly, the methods for control vary widely, ranging from systems that perform maneuvers which are entirely planned on the ground and uploaded tothe vehicle to missions that require time critical, real time onboard estimation and maneuver planning to meet mission objectives. This session is intended to discuss the challengesassociated with precision orbit determination and control for space vehicles, ranging from Earth orbiting missions that require precise orbit knowledge to Constellation programsand deep space missions that have real time orbit determination and control requirements.National Chairpersons

CONFERENCE AGENDA


Please visit the AAS Rocky Mountain Section website at http://aas-rocky-mountain-section.org/ for additional informationabout the Conference, Beaver Run Resort, recreational activities, and the town of Breckenridge, Colorado.

Tim Crain, NASA Johnson Space Flight Center, [email protected], 281-244-5077Bruce Haines, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, [email protected], 818-354-0686Local ChairpersonsDave Chart, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, [email protected], 303-977-6875Ian Gravseth, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., [email protected], 303-939-5421

4:00-6:00 pm Session VI – “X-Prize”The Google Lunar X PRIZE is a $30 million international competition to safely land a robot on the surface of the moon, travel 500 meters over the lunar surface, and send imagesand data back to Earth. One of the primary goals of the competition is to attract unconventional teams from outside the industry that take new approaches and think creativelyabout difficult problems. The solutions these teams produce are often truly innovative breakthroughs and the X PRIZE structure promotes widespread adoption of these innovations.This session takes a look at some of the solutions that teams competing for the Google Lunar X PRIZE have proposed to address the GN&C challenges of getting to and movingaround on the moon.National ChairpersonsWill Pomerantz X-Prize Foundation, [email protected], 310-741-4910Stephen P. Airey, European Space Agency, [email protected], +31 (0)71 565-5295Local ChairpersonsMary Klaus, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, [email protected], 303-971-2724Zach Wilson, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, [email protected], 303-971-4799

6:00-7:00 pm Social Hour7:00-9:00 pm Banquet – Guest Speaker: Berrien Moore, Climate Central

Tuesday, February 97:00-10:00 am Session VII – “Altimetry”Satellite-based-altimetry is one of the key methods of global and local environmental modeling such as ocean topography (hence currents), lakes/river elevations, and land icethickness. This session will highlight demands placed on GN&C systems to support these unique missions, including precision orbit determination, timing, and pointing controls.”National ChairpersonsGreg Jacobs, Naval Research Laboratory, [email protected], 228-688-4720Nicolas Picot, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, [email protected], (011) 33-5-61-28-25-9Local ChairpersonsBill Emery, University of Colorado, [email protected], 303-492-8591Bill Frazier, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., [email protected], 303-939-4986

4:00-7:00pm Session VIII – “Recent Experiences”Lessons learned through experience prove most valuable when shared with others in the G&C community. This session, which is a traditional part of the conference, provides aforum for candid sharing of insights gained through successes and failures. Past conferences have shown this session to be most interesting and informative.National ChairpersonsTom Darone, Aerospace Corporation, [email protected], 703-435-5538Sam Thurman, Jet Propulsion Lab, [email protected], 818-393-7819Local ChairpersonsJim Chapel, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, [email protected], 303-977-9462Kevin Benedict, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., [email protected], 303-533-4782

Wednesday, February 107:00-10:00 am Session IX – “Operational Responsive Space GN&C” (US only)High reliability national space systems are plagued by extremely long development and build schedules, yet the warfighter needs for new and modified space assets may developin weeks and months. The Operationally Responsive Space office has recognized the need for the short-term injection of capability and has begun to answer to the needs of thewarfighter through short-turnaround mission implementation and modification of existing assets tasked to satisfy urgent military needs. This session focuses on the technical andprogrammatic challenges associated with flexible GNC design for responsive mission deployment and existing system modifications.National ChairpersonAdam Fosbury, U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, [email protected], 505-853-7476Local ChairpersonsAlex May, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, [email protected], 303-977-6620James Speed, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., [email protected], 303-939-5322

Committee Members not assigned to sessionsJay Brownfield, NAVSYS Corporation, [email protected], 719-481-4877 ext 139Ed Friedman, Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp., [email protected], 720-201-9409Larry Germann, Left Hand Design Corp, [email protected], 303-652-2786Heidi Hallowell, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., [email protected], 303-939-6131James McQuerry, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., [email protected], 303-939-6102Shawn McQuerry, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, [email protected], 303-971-5264


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Space, Propulsion & Energy Sciences International ForumFebruary 23-26, 2010

Applied Physics Laboratory – JHUTheme: New Directions in Space Science and Technology

http://www.ias-spes.org/SPESIF.html

SPESIF-2010 is an international technical forum organized by the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Space, Propulsion &Energy Sciences (IASSPES).

SPESIF seeks to promote the exchange of information among technologists, academicians, industrialists and program managerson technical and programmatic issues related to the Space, Propulsion and Energy Sciences.

Among its organizers, conference and session chairs, and attendees, are high-level representatives from industry, governmentagencies and institutes of higher learning.

Papers approved for SPESIF are peer-reviewed and will be published by the American Institute of Physics (AIP) in an AIPConference Proceedings.

Chair: Roger Launius, Curator - National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

Organizing Chair: Glen A. Robertson, 265 Ita Ann Lane, Madison, AL 35757, 256-694-7941

Organized with the support of AAS, AIAA, and the Astrosociology Research Institute.


AAS Events ScheduleDecember 2-3, 2009AAS Imagine ‘09: Ideas at WorkGilruth Center at the Johnson Space CenterHouston, Texaswww.astronautical.org

February 5-10, 2010AAS Guidance and Control ConferenceBeaver Run Resort and Conference CenterBreckenridge, Coloradowww.aas-rocky-mountain-section.org

February 14-18, 2010*AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Winter MeetingMarriott San Diego Mission ValleySan Diego, Californiawww.space-flight.org

March 10-11, 201048th Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium“Earth and Beyond: The Next Decades”Greenbelt MarriottGreenbelt, Marylandwww.astronautical.org

June 11-13, 2010*6th Student CanSat CompetitionAmarillo, Texaswww.cansatcompetition.com

The Aerospace CorporationAir Force Institute of Technologya.i. solutions, inc.Analytical Graphics, Inc.Applied Defense Solutions, Inc.Applied Physics Laboratory / JHUArianespaceAuburn UniversityBall Aerospace & Technologies Corp.The Boeing CompanyBraxton Technologies, Inc.Computer Sciences CorporationDittmar Associates, Inc.Edge Space Systems, Inc.Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityGeneral Dynamics AISGeorge Mason University/CAPRHoneywell Technology Solutions, Inc.International Space UniversityJet Propulsion LaboratoryKinetX, Inc.Lockheed Martin CorporationNational Institute of AerospaceN. Hahn & Co., Inc.NoblisNorthrop GrummanOrbital Sciences CorporationParagon Space Development CorporationThe Pennsylvania State UniversityPhillips & CompanyRaytheonRWI International Consulting ServicesSAICThe Tauri GroupTechnica, Inc.Texas A&M UniversityUnited Launch AllianceUnivelt, Inc.Universal Space NetworkUniversities Space Research AssociationUniversity of FloridaUtah State University / Space Dynamics LabWomen in Aerospace

AAS Corporate Members

*AAS Cosponsored Meetings

Thank you for your continued support!

UPCOMING EVENTS

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Greenbelt MarriottGreenbelt, Maryland

48th Robert H. Goddard MemorialSymposium

March 10-11, 2010

www.astronautical.org

“Earth and Beyond: The Next Decades”


AAS NEWS

AAS ANNUAL AWARDS RECIPIENTSSpace Flight Award to Glynn Lunney, United Space Alliance (retired) ~ AAS’ highest honor – individualwhose outstanding efforts and achievements have contributed most significantly to the advancement ofspaceflight and space exploration ~

Flight Achievement Award to the STS-125 Crew / Scott Altman, Gregory C. Johnson, AndrewFeustel, Michael Good, John Grunsfeld, Mike Massimino, and Megan McArthur ~ outstandingachievement as flight crew or flight crew member ~

Victor A. Prather Award to Joseph A. Rusekas, David Clark Company (retired) ~ honors researchers,engineers and flight crew members in the field of extravehicular protection or activity in space ~

Randolph Lovelace II Award to Buzz Aldrin, StarBuzz LLC ~ recognizes significant contributions tospace science and technology ~

Melbourne W. Boynton Award to Joan Vernikos, Thirdage LLC ~ recognizes significant contributionsto the biomedical aspects of spaceflight ~

Dirk Brouwer Award to Bruce Conway, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ~ recognizessignificant technical contributions to spaceflight mechanics and astrodynamics ~

John F. Kennedy Award to Roger Launius, Smithsonian Institution ~ individual who has made anoutstanding contribution to public service through leadership in promoting our space programs for theexploration and utilization of outer space ~

Industrial Leadership Award to James Crocker, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company ~individual in the space industry who has made an outstanding contribution through leadership indevelopment and acquisition of space systems ~

Eugene M. Emme Astronautical Literature Award to David Mindell, MIT for Digital Apollo – Humanand Machine in Spaceflight ~ recognizes an outstanding book that advances public understanding ofastronautics; rewarding originality, scholarship and readability ~

— Complete descriptions and past recipients at www.astronautical.org/awards —

AAS 2009 FELLOWS

Robert H. Bishop Texas A&M University

David Finkleman Analytical Graphics, Inc.

Bradford W. Parkinson Stanford University

— Complete list of Fellows at www.astronautical.org/membership/fellows —


Digital Apollo: Human and Machine in SpaceflightReviewed by Donald C. Elder III

Digital Apollo: Human and Machine inSpaceflight, by David A. Mindell.Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press,2008. ISBN: 978-0-262-13497-2. 359 pages(hardcover).

In the first chapter of Digital Apollo:Human and Machine in Spaceflight, DavidA. Mindell admits that an immense amountof material that has been written about theApollo program and asks rhetorically whatcould be added to that body of work. As hisbook demonstrates, the answer is that therewas room for at least one more path-breaking monograph. Digital Apollo tellsan important story about interactionbetween astronaut and computer in thistechnologically successful program, and atthe same time it suggests importantquestions about the future of the Americanspace program. Clearly written andexhaustively researched, Digital Apollo isa noteworthy contribution to the history ofastronautics and aeronautics and, for thatmatter, to the general history of technology.

Mindell begins his work with adescription of a famous moment in truth forthe American space program: the computerprogram alarm in the Lunar Modulecarrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrintowards the moon on July 20, 1969. Ratherthan simply recounting the tale, Mindelluses the incident as a springboard to beginhis examination of the broader subject ofastronaut-computer interaction. He assertsthat the Apollo program did not cause achange in that dynamic, but insteadrepresented an ongoing process that hadaccelerated during the early years of thespace age. Mindell promises the reader thathis work not only will examine theengineering developments that allowedcomputers to play such an important rolein landing on the moon, but will also explorethe potential implications of this technicaldevelopment on humankind’s future inouter space.

The book is organized sequentially,beginning with the second chapter. In itMindell persuasively argues that a

difference of opinion has existed since thedays of the Wright brothers about whethermachinery or a pilot should have greaterresponsibility for controlling a craft inflight. Using the Society of ExperimentalTest Pilots as an example, Mindell showshow the development of automated systemsforced aviators to justify their own worthby becoming more adept in mastering thatnew technology. Turning in the next chapterto a discussion of the X-15, Mindellexplains how that program becameimportant to the pilot-automation equation:(1) the insertion of humans into the nearspace environment; and (2) the interactionof the pilots with the control systems. Thus,by 1959 a new definition of piloting wasalready being written.

In his fourth chapter, Mindell begins hisexamination of the manned spaceflightprogram. Projects Mercury and Gemini, inMindell’s view, both represented criticaldevelopments because they demonstratedthat humans “seemed necessary for theflights.” On the other hand, the attempts atdocking undertaken on the Gemini missionsclearly proved that machines, especiallydigital computers, were necessary forsuccessful ventures in outer space. ProjectApollo takes center stage in the fifth chapter,as Mindell delineates the steps by which theguidance system for taking the astronautsto the moon began to take shape. At thatpoint it became necessary to develop acomputer for the Apollo capsule, and in thesixth chapter Mindell examines the processby which NASA developed the ApolloGuidance Computer (AGC). In only fiveyears, NASA produced an integratednavigation system ready to handle thedemands that a mission to the moon wouldplace on it. But while the innovations inhardware had progressed at a satisfactory

rate, NASA realized that new computerprograms would be necessary to operate themachinery. The search for suitable softwareand the first Apollo missions themselvesform the basis of the material that Mindelldiscusses in his seventh chapter; he endsthat section with the famous Christmas Evemission of Apollo 8 that demonstrated howimportant software had become to the hopesof landing humans on the moon.

In his final chapters, Mindell tells thestory of the successive Apollo moonmissions. Noting the overall magnificentperformance of the computer systems onthese flights, he also discusses the momentswhen unexpected problems occurred thatrequired human intervention. Theseunforeseen actions all resulted in successfullandings by the astronauts. Clearly, thelesson to be drawn from Mindell’s book isthat Apollo could not have succeeded as itdid without human-machine, particularlyhuman-computer, interaction. In his finalchapter, he argues that an understanding ofthat nexus is critical to an informeddiscussion of the future of American crewedspaceflight.

In his introduction, Mindell stated thathe had no intention of writing another bookabout Apollo based solely on theremembrances of the participants. Hesucceeded in that goal, but wisely chose toinclude comments by individuals on bothsides of the astronaut-systems divide.Mindell also included numerousillustrations, ranging from highly technicalgraphics to amusing cartoons. Consultinga vast array of primary and secondarysources, Mindell fashioned a treatise thatcovers familiar ground while simultaneouslyexploring hitherto unexamined material.Written in an engaging fashion that willappeal to both the casual and the informedreader, Digital Apollo represents a valuableaddition to the literature about the mostfamous of all space programs.

Donald C. Elder III is a professor ofhistory at Eastern New MexicoUniversity.

NOTES ON NEW BOOKS

2008 AAS Eugene M. Emme Astronautical Literature Award Winner


NOTES ON NEW BOOKS

Road to Mach 10: Lessons Learned fromthe X-43A Flight Research Program byCurtis Peebles. Reston, Virginia:American Institute of Aeronautics andAstronautics, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-563-47932-8. 250 pages. $39.95 (paperback).

Intended as a lessons-learned history togive aerospace engineering undergraduates“an understanding of the difficulties theywill face working on an advanced project”(p. xi), Road to Mach 10 tells the story inthe words of its participants. CurtisPeebles, the historian assigned to the X-43A project in late summer 2004, combineshis personal observations with informationobtained from e-mail updates, oralinterviews, technical papers, and officialreports to deliver a skillfully crafted,remarkably detailed, extraordinarilyanalytical, delightfully readable account ofhow the world’s first in-flight, hypersonictesting of a scramjet engine came to pass.He chronicles, from project inception tocompletion, the abundant challenges,numerous miscalculations, frequentmodifications, and ultimate successexperienced by Hyper-X scramjetengineers and managers.

Peebles, who authored or coauthoredmore than a dozen aeronautical or spacehistories prior to this one, begins Road toMach 10 with a summary of scramjetdesign concepts and experiments. A briefaccount from René Lorin’s theoreticalramjet studies in France before World WarI to the first scramjet ground tests by FredBillig and G.L. Dugger of Johns HopkinsUniversity’s Applied Physics Laboratoryin 1958, sets the stage for a more detailedrendering of early attempts to build ascramjet-powered vehicle. The latter beganwith the U.S. Air Force’s Aerospaceplaneprogram of the late 1950s and early 1960s,continued with NASA’s HypersonicResearch Engine project in the 1960s and

Road to Mach 10: Lessons Learned fromthe X-43A Flight Research ProgramReviewed by Rick W. Sturdevant

Rick W. Sturdevant is Deputy CommandHistorian, HQ Air Force SpaceCommand and a member of the AASHistory Committee.

airframe-integrated scramjet in the 1970s,and proceeded onward to the NationalAerospace Plane (NASP) program of thelate 1980s and early 1990s.

Like a “Phoenix from the Ashes,” thetitle of the book’s second chapter, theHyper-X or X-43A project arose fromwithin the dying NASP program. Peeblesexplains how some NASP engineersfavored an incremental developmentapproach using small-scale hypersonicprototypes, not the full-scale test modeladopted by NASP program managers.From paper plans to preliminary design,from modifications and wind-tunnel testingto flight version checkout and emergencyprocedures training, and from failure of thefirst launch to a remarkably successful thirdflight “To the Edge of the Envelope,” titleof Chapter 8, he narrates step by step theexpenditure of blood, toil, tears and sweatby members of the Hyper-X team.Analytical tidbits appear throughout thebook, and Peebles ends with a chapterdevoted largely to fundamental“Hypersonic Lessons Learned.”

One of the most basic lessons involvedrecognition that the particular nature of theX-43A effort negated direct application ofsome long-used practices that arepractically standard in conventionalaeronautical or astronautical projects.Peebles stresses differences betweenacademic and flight research. He notes theimportance of ensuring adequatecommunications among participants andkeeping team members focused onresolving anomalies or failures withoutfinger pointing. Working through problems,he concludes, breeds new understandingand enduring knowledge useful to newgenerations of engineers. Peeblesreinforces the notion that embracingfailure, although heretical in a risk-averseAmerica, can be good if it highlights a pathtoward success. These and other lessons

he gleaned from studying technical reports,talking with project participants, andobserving activities firsthand.

As a bonus, Road to Mach 10 includesa DVD containing more than two dozenpapers and reports related to X-43A, plusthree short videos. Two-thirds of the writtenmaterial on this disc is papers authored byHyper-X team members and presented atAmerican Institute of Aeronautics andAstronautics conferences between 1997and 2005. Official NASA documentsconstitute the remainder. A split-screenvideo of the first and second X-43A flights,plus another covering the third test frompreparation stages through actual airdropand 10-second flight, along with ananimated version of that final test furnishexciting visual evidence of what the authorhas so ably described in words.

At the beginning of April 2009, withBoeing Corporation just weeks away fromcompleting assembly of the first X-51AWaveRider static test vehicle, Road toMach 10 becomes timely reading forengineering undergraduates, aerospaceprofessionals, and enthusiastic amateursalike. A joint U.S. Air Force ResearchLaboratory and Defense AdvancedResearch Projects Agency program, X-51Abuilds on NASA’s pioneering X-43AHyper-X experience. The X-51A isexpected to pave the way towardhypersonic flight tests to demonstrate thepracticality of using supersonic combustionramjet technology in long-range missilesand space launch vehicles.


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