Art By Don Davis Artist's concept of one of the probes on the hot surface of Venus. Although the probes were not designed to withstand impact, there was a chance that one might survive and transmit some data from the surface. A small probe did survive and transmitted data for 67 minutes.
This photograph shows the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-1 being assembled at TRW Systems of Redondo Beach, California. The HEAO was designed and developed by TRW, Inc. under the project management of the Marshall Space Flight Center. The first observatory, designated HEAO-1, was launched on August 12, 1977 aboard an Atlas/Centaur launch vehicle and was designed to survey the sky for additional x-ray and gamma-ray sources as well as pinpointing their positions. The HEAO-1 was originally identified as HEAO-A but the designation was changed once the spacecraft achieved orbit.
S77-28200 (13 Sept 1977) --- This impressive scene was photographed when the NASA 747 carrier aircraft and five T-38 aircraft flew over the shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" while it was parked on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California. The Orbiter 101 had just completed a five-minute, 28-second unpowered mission during the second free flight of the Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) conducted September 13, 1977, at the Dryden Flight Research Center.
S77-28210 (13 Sept 1977) --- Astronauts Joe H. Engle (face down), commander, and Richard H. Truly (face partially obscured by Engle), pilot, are greeted by Rockwell technicians following egress from the shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise." They had just completed a five-minute, 31-second unpowered free flight in the "Enterprise," the second of a series of such flights, conducted on September 13, 1977, at the Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) and Edwards Air Force Base.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center tested 16 commercially-manufactured electric vehicles, including this modified Pacer, during the mid-1970s. The Electric Vehicle Project was just one of several energy-related programs that Lewis and the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) undertook in the mid-1970s. NASA and ERDA embarked on this program in 1976 to determine the state of the current electric vehicle technology. As part of the project, Lewis tested a fleet composed of every commercially available electric car. The Cleveland-area Electric Vehicle Associates modified an American Motors Pacer vehicle to create this Change-of-Pace Coupe. It was powered by twenty 6-volt batteries whose voltage could be varied by a foot control. The tests analyzed the vehicle’s range, acceleration, coast-down, braking, and energy consumption. Some of the vehicles had analog data recording systems to measure the battery during operation and sensors to determine speed and distance. Lewis researchers found that the vehicle performance varied significantly from model to model. In general, the range, acceleration, and speed were lower than conventional vehicles. They also found that traditional gasoline-powered vehicles were as efficient as the electric vehicles. The researchers concluded, however, that advances in battery technology and electric drive systems would significantly improve the performance and efficiency.
S77-28667 (23 Sept 1977) --- The shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" soars above the North Base area of Edwards Air Force Base during its five-minute, 34-second unpowered flight, the third of a series of manned Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT). Moments earlier the "Enterprise" had separated from its 747 carrier aircraft, atop which it sat upon takeoff from the Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), with its crew of astronauts Fred W. Haise Jr., commander, and C. Gordon Fullerton, pilot. Three T-38 chase planes follow. This photograph was taken from a fourth T-38 chase plane.
Aerial of Ames: Army Aeromechanics Lab and 7x10ft#1 W.T. , and 7x10ft#2 W.T.
This vehicle served as a mobile terminal for the Communications Technology Satellite. The Communications Technology Satellite was an experimental communications satellite launched in January 1976 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Canadian Department of Communications. The satellite operated in a new frequency band reserved for broadcast satellites with transmitting power levels that were 10 to 20 times higher than those of contemporary satellites. Throughout 1977 and 1978 NASA allowed qualified groups to utilize the satellite from one of the three ground-based transmission centers. NASA’s Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio was NASA’s lead center on the project. Lewis was responsible for the control and coordination of all US experiments on the satellite. The center housed the satellite’s main control center which included eight parabolic reflector antennae ranging from 2 to 15 feet in diameter. Many of the satellite’s components had been tested in simulated space conditions at Lewis. The Lewis-designed vehicle seen here served as a field unit for transmitting and receiving wideband signals and narrowband voice. The vehicle permitted live television interviews, recording equipment, and cameras. An 8-foot diameter parabolic reflector was mounted on the roof. The interior of the vehicle had workstations, monitors, transmitting equipment, and a lounge area.
Artwork: JPL Spacecraft Vikings Explore Planet Mars
This photograph shows the liquid hydrogen tank and liquid oxygen tank for the Space Shuttle external tank (ET) being assembled in the weld assembly area of the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF). The ET provides liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to the Shuttle's three main engines during the first eight 8.5 minutes of flight. At 154-feet long and more than 27-feet in diameter, the ET is the largest component of the Space Shuttle, the structural backbone of the entire Shuttle system, and the only part of the vehicle that is not reusable. The ET is manufactured at the Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans, Louisiana, by the Martin Marietta Corporation under management of the Marshall Space Flight Center.
Once the United States' space program had progressed from Earth's orbit into outerspace, the prospect of building and maintaining a permanent presence in space was realized. To accomplish this feat, NASA launched a temporary workstation, Skylab, to discover the effects of low gravity and weightlessness on the human body, and also to develop tools and equipment that would be needed in the future to build and maintain a more permanent space station. The structures, techniques, and work schedules had to be carefully designed to fit this unique construction site. The components had to be lightweight for transport into orbit, yet durable. The station also had to be made with removable parts for easy servicing and repairs by astronauts. All of the tools necessary for service and repairs had to be designed for easy manipulation by a suited astronaut. Construction methods had to be efficient due to the limited time the astronauts could remain outside their controlled environment. In lieu of all the specific needs for this project, an environment on Earth had to be developed that could simulate a low gravity atmosphere. A Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS) was constructed by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in 1968. Since then, NASA scientists have used this facility to understand how humans work best in low gravity and also provide information about the different kinds of structures that can be built. With the help of the NBS, building a space station became more of a reality. Pictured is Astronaut Paul Weitz training on a mock-up of Spacelab's airlock-hatch cover. Training was also done on the use of foot restraints which had recently been developed to help astronauts maintain their positions during space walks rather than having their feet float out from underneath them while they tried to perform maintenance and repair operations. Every aspect of every space mission was researched and demonstrated in the NBS. Using the airlock hatch cover and foot restraints were just a small example of the preparation that went into each mission.
Olczak Bell X-14 AIRCRAFT TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY. Research Team: Front Row: Fred Drinkwater, Jim Meeks, Lonnie Phillips, Jim Kozalski, Vic Bravo. Second Row: Bill Carpenter, Sid Selan, Dick Gallant, Terry Stoeffler. Third row: Ron Gerdes, Lloyd Corliss. Fourth row: Cy Sewell, Dick Greif, Ed Vernon, Lee Jones. Fifth Row: Dan Dugan, Jim Rogers, Dave Walton, Terry Feistel. Back Row: Frank Pauli, Seth Anderson. Not pictured: Terry Gossett, Bob Innis, Stew Rolls, Lawson Williamson. Note: Used in publication in Flight Research at Ames; 57 Years of Development and Validation of Aeronautical Technology NASA SP-1998-3300 fig. 118
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Voyager-1 spacecraft was reencapsulated within its payload in Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-1 today. The spacecraft is to be mated with Titan_Centaur-6 at Launch Complex 41 later this week. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Sept. 5.
Aerial of Ames: N-243 (Flight and Guidance Simulation Laboratory) and N-243A (Simulation Equipment) houses the Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS) and the Crew Station Research Development Facility (CSRDF)
This archival photo shows the Voyager Proof Test Model undergoing a mechanical preparation and weight center of gravity test at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, on January 12, 1977. The stack of three white cylinders seen near center is a stand-in for the spacecraft's power generators (called RTGs). Above that, a silvery canister holds the spacecraft's magnetometer in its stowed configuration. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21477
Art By Don Davis Pioneer Venus orbiter in orbit around Venus
At Dr Hans Mark; Ames Director 1969-1977 farewell party are (left to right) Alan Chambers, Dale Compton, Jack Boyd, Hans Mark, Lloyd Jones, and John Dusterberry.
Environmental Portrait of Christine M. Darden. Supersonic Aerodynamics Branch.
Art By Don Davis Artist's concept of one of the probes on the hot surface of Venus. Although the probes were not designed to withstand impact, there was a chance that one might survive and transmit some data from the surface. A small probe did survive and transmitted data for 67 minutes.
The U-2 Earth Resources Aircraft on the Ames tarmack surrounded by the on board sensors and camera systems
S77-27945 (12 Aug 1977) --- The space shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" soars above the NASA 747 carrier aircraft after separating during the first free flight of the Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALTs) conducted on Aug. 12, 1977 at Dryden Flight Research Center in Southern California. Astronauts Fred W. Haise Jr., and C. Gordon Fullerton were the crew of the "Enterprise." The ALT free flights are designed to verify Orbiter subsonic airworthiness, integrated systems operations and pilot-guided approach and landing capability and satisfying prerequisites to automatic flight control and navigation mode. Photo credit: NASA
Straight Space Shuttle orbiter (OA-144) test-118 in 9x7ft w.t. with technician
S78-35287 (13 Jan. 1978) --- Astronaut Shannon W. Lucid, mission specialist.
S77-28137 (13 Sept 1977) --- The Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" soars above the NASA 747 carrier aircraft during the second free flight of the Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALTs) conducted on September 13, 1977 at Dryden Flight Research Center in Southern California. Astronauts Joe H. Engle, and Richard H. Truly were the crew of the "Enterprise." The ALT free flights are designed to verify Orbiter subsonic airworthiness, integrated systems operations and pilot-guided approach and landing capability and satisfying prerequisites to automatic flight control and navigation mode.
This archival photo shows the Voyager Proof Test Model (in the foreground right of center) undergoing a mechanical preparation and weight center of gravity test at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, on January 12, 1977. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21476
This picture is of an Atlas/Centaur launch vehicle, carrying the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-1, on Launch Complex 36 at the Air Force Eastern Test Range prior to launch on August 12, 1977. The Kennedy Space Center managed the launch operations that included a pre-aunch checkout, launch, and flight, up through the observatory separation in orbit.
The Voyager 2 aboard Titan III-Centaur launch vehicle lifted off on August 20, 1977. The Voyager 2 was a scientific satellite to study the Jupiter and the Saturn planetary systems including their satellites and Saturn's rings.
NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft launched atop its Titan/Centaur-7 launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on August 20, 1977, at 10:29 a.m. local time. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21745
S77-28540 (23 Sept 1977) --- The shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" approaches touchdown on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base to conclude a five-minute, 34-second unpowered flight, the third of Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) series, on September 23, 1977. Thress T-38 chase planes follow close by. Astronauts Fred W. Haise Jr., commander, and C. Gordon Fullerton, pilot, were the crew aboard the "Enterprise" for this flight.
Origin of life (fossil)
S78-35288 (20 Sept 1978) --- Astronaut George D. Nelson.
S77-22549 --- Dr. Farouk El-Baz (left), a scientist, chats with other participants of the Eighth Annual Lunar Science Conference.
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA aerials: Two 7x10 Foot Wind Tunnels N-215 and N-216 (with composite title)
S77-28209 (13 Sept 1977) --- The shuttle orbiter 101 "Enterprise" lands on the desert at Edwards Air Force Base to conclude a five-minute, 31-second unpowered flight during the second free-flight of the Shuttle Approach and Landing Test (ALT) series, on September 13, 1977. Two T-38 chase planes remain with the "Enterprise" for the landing. Asstronauts Joe H. Engle, commander, and Richard H. Truly, pilot, were the crewmen for the flight.
Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster Drop Test Vehicle (SRB-DTV) captive flight on NB-52B
Frame of color news-released stills. This was a Tail Cone Off Mission. Crew was made up of Astronauts Engle and Truly. Astronauts Engle, Truly egress Orbiter following flt. DFRC, CA
Hubert Vykukal demonstrates mobility of the Hardsuit AX-3 Space Suit design
Views documenting the arrival of the Saturn V first stage at the Clear Lake dock near JSC after being transported via barge from Michoud Facility to be put on exhibit at JSC near Building 14. Barge approach with fisherman and others onshore watching. Houston, TX
Photography from Shuttle ALT FF-5. S77-30393: ALT Fr. 3258, a higher-up shot of the Enterprise approaching runway for landing. EAFB, CA
Mary Jackson at Work. In 1958 Mary Jackson became NASA’s first black female engineer. At the time this photo was taken in June 2, 1977 Mrs. Jackson was working in the Transonic Aerodynamic Branch.
Portrait of Dr. William H. Michael, Jr.
Hubert Vykukal demonstrates mobility of the Hardsuit AX-3 Space Suit design
Portrait of Samuel J. Scott working in the Office of Directors for Structures NASA Langley. Photograph taken May 1977.
Planet Urnaus Ring System Artwork - copyright Rick Sternbach 1977
Artist: unknown (JPL) Saturn Voyager Mission Artwork depicts the spacecraft's path on it's journey to Saturn as it passed above the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars and around Jupiter.
S77-28327 (13 Sept 1977) --- The shuttle orbiter 101 "Enterprise" stirs up a cloud of desert sand and dust as it lands to conclude a five-minute, 28-second unpowered flight during the second free flight of the Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) conduced on September 13, 1977 at the Dryden Flight Research Center in Southern California. The Orbiter 101 crew astronauts Joe H. Engle, commander, and Richard H. Truly, pilot. The ALT free flights are designed to verify orbiter subsonic airworthiness, integrated systems operations and pilot-guided approach and landing capability and satisfy prerequisites to automatic flight control and navigation mode. On the right a T-38 chase plane comes in for a landing, also. This picture was taken with an Air Force Test Center 70mm Hasselblad camera installed on a tracking mount parked on the lake bed.
S77-28138 (13 Sept 1977) --- The shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" makes a slight turn and bank maneuver during the second free flight of the Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) conducted on September 13, 1977, at the Dryden Flight Research Center in Southern California. The "Enterprise" separated from the NASA 747 carrier aircraft and landed following a five-minute, 28-second unpowered flight. The Orbiter 101 crew was astronauts Joe H. Engle, commander, and Richard H. Truly, pilot. The ALT free flights are designed to verify orbiter subsonic airworthiness, integrated systems operations and pilot-guided approach and landing capability and satisfy prerequisites to automatic flight control and navigation mode. The orbiter soars above the dry California desert in this post-separation view. Astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton took this picture while riding in T-38 chase plane number one. He used a 35mm Nikon camera with a 50mm lens.
Voyager Saturn Mission Artwork (Mariner - Jupiter - Saturn - Uranus) show slingshot technique
First Shuttle/747 Captive Flight
S77-28931 (12 Oct. 1977) --- The Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" separates from the NASA 747 carrier aircraft to begin its first "tailcone-off" unpowered flight over desert and mountains of Southern California. A T-38 chase plane follows in right background. This was the fourth in a series of five piloted free flights. Photo credit: NASA
Mary Jackson With Model at NASA Langley. In 1958 Mary Jackson became NASA's first black female engineer. At this time Mrs. Jackson was working in the Theoretical Aerodynamic Branch. The tunnel was located on the East side at Langley Air Force Base.
This archival photo shows engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory working on the 10-sided central structure, or "bus," of the Voyager 2 spacecraft on February 24,1977. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21478
This photograph is of the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2 telescope being checked by engineers in the X-Ray Calibration Facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The MSFC was heavily engaged in the technical and scientific aspects, testing and calibration, of the HEAO-2 telescope. The HEAO-2 was the first imaging and largest x-ray telescope built to date. The X-Ray Calibration Facility was built in 1976 for testing MSFC's HEAO-2. The facility is the world's largest, most advanced laboratory for simulating x-ray emissions from distant celestial objects. It produced a space-like environment in which components related to x-ray telescope imaging are tested and the quality of their performance in space is predicted. The original facility contained a 1,000-foot long by 3-foot diameter vacuum tube (for the x-ray path) cornecting an x-ray generator and an instrument test chamber. Recently, the facility was upgraded to evaluate the optical elements of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory and Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory.
Constructed in 1964, the S-IC Static Test Stand was designed to develop and test the first stage (S-IC) of the Saturn V launch vehicle. In the 1974 the test stand was modified to test the liquid hydrogen tank on the Space Shuttle External Tank. The facility was again modified in 1986 and its name was changed to the Advanced Engine Test Facility. These modifications were made to accommodate the Technology Test Bed engine which is a derivative of the Space Shuttle Main Engine.
Artist: Rick Guidice Artist conception of surface of Venus.
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA aerials: Two 7x10 Foot Wind Tunnels N-215 and N-216 (with composite title)
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Titan_Centaur-7 lifted off from Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 10:29 a.m. EDT today to send an 1,800-pound Voyager spacecraft on an odyssey through the outer planets. A sister spacecraft is to be hurled away from the Sun on a similar journey no earlier than Sept. 1.
Artist: Rick Guidice Artist conception of surface of Venus.
S77-28668 (23 Sept 1977) --- The shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" approaches touchdown on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base to conclude a five-minute, 34-second unpowered flight, the third of Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) series, on September 23, 1977. Thress T-38 chase planes follow close by. Astronauts Fred W. Haise Jr., commander, and C. Gordon Fullerton, pilot, were the crew aboard the "Enterprise" for this flight.
This is an artist's concept of an X-33 Advanced Technology Demonstrator, a subscale protoptye launch vehicle being developed by NASA Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. (Vehicle configuration current as of 10/97) The X-33 is a subscale prototype of a Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Lockheed Martin has labeled "Venture Star TM." The X-33 program was cancelled in 2001.
Artist: Rick Guidice Artist conception of surface of Venus.
This photograph is of the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2 telescope being evaluated by engineers in the clean room of the X-Ray Calibration Facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The MSFC was heavily engaged in the technical and scientific aspects, testing and calibration, of the HEAO-2 telescope The HEAO-2 was the first imaging and largest x-ray telescope built to date. The X-Ray Calibration Facility was built in 1976 for testing MSFC's HEAO-2. The facility is the world's largest, most advanced laboratory for simulating x-ray emissions from distant celestial objects. It produced a space-like environment in which components related to x-ray telescope imaging are tested and the quality of their performance in space is predicted. The original facility contained a 1,000-foot long by 3-foot diameter vacuum tube (for the x-ray path) cornecting an x-ray generator and an instrument test chamber. Recently, the facility was upgraded to evaluate the optical elements of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory and Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory.
Ames Center Director receives visitors during the Halloween parade
Once the United States' space program had progressed from Earth's orbit into outerspace, the prospect of building and maintaining a permanent presence in space was realized. To accomplish this feat, NASA launched a temporary workstation, Skylab, to discover the effects of low gravity and weightlessness on the human body, and also to develop tools and equipment that would be needed in the future to build and maintain a more permanent space station. The structures, techniques, and work schedules had to be carefully designed to fit this unique construction site. The components had to be lightweight for transport into orbit, yet durable. The station also had to be made with removable parts for easy servicing and repairs by astronauts. All of the tools necessary for service and repairs had to be designed for easy manipulation by a suited astronaut. And construction methods had to be efficient due to limited time the astronauts could remain outside their controlled environment. In lieu of all the specific needs for this project, an environment on Earth had to be developed that could simulate a low gravity atmosphere. A Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS) was constructed by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in 1968. Since then, NASA scientists have used this facility to understand how humans work best in low gravity and also provide information about the different kinds of structures that can be built. With the help of the NBS, building a space station became more of a reality. In a joint venture between NASA/Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA and MSFC, the Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structures (ACCESS) was developed and demonstrated at MSFC's NBS. The primary objective of this experiment was to test the ACCESS structural assembly concept for suitability as the framework for larger space structures and to identify ways to improve the productivity of space construction. Pictured is a demonstration of ACCESS.
Public Affairs Office (PAO) release print of activity documenting third "free flight" of Shuttle Orbiter 101 Spacecraft at DFRC, Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB), CA. Enterprise is parked on the runway - Haise (left), Commander, and Fullerton, Pilot, are in the inset.
Frame of color news-released stills. This was a Tail Cone Off Mission. Stack Enterprise and 747 in flight.
S77-22482 (14 March 1977) --- Johnson Space Center Director Christopher C. Kraft Jr. addresses a crowd of scientists and news media representatives at the opening of the Eighth Annual Lunar Science Conference in the Teague Auditorium. Photo credit: NASA
TA Mod-0A 200-kilowatt wind turbine designed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center and constructed in Clayton, New Mexico. The wind turbine program was a joint effort by NASA and the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) during the 1970s to develop less expensive forms of energy. NASA Lewis was assigned the responsibility of developing large horizontal-axis wind turbines. The program included a series of increasingly powerful wind turbines, designated: Mod-0A, Mod-1, WTS-4, and Mod-5. The program’s first device was a Mod-0 100-kilowatt wind turbine test bed built at NASA’s Plum Brook Station. This Mod-0A 200-kilowatt turbine built in Clayton in 1977 was the program’s second device. It included a 125-foot long blade atop a 100-foot tall tower. The Mod-0A was designed to determine the turbine’s operating problems, integrate the system with the local utilities, and assess the attitude of the local community. There were additional Mod-0A turbines built in Culebra, Puerto Rico; Block Island, Rhode Island; and Oahu, Hawaii. The Mod-0A turbines were initially unreliable and suffered issues with the durability of the rotor blade. Lewis engineers addressed the problems, and the wind turbines proved to be reliable and efficient devices that operated for a number of years. The information gained from these early models was vital to the design and improvement of the later generations.
Robert Cubbison examines a model of the Lockheed YF-12 Blackbird in the test section of the 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. The YF-12 was an experimental fighter version of Lockheed’s A-12 reconnaissance aircraft which had been developed into the renowned SR-71 Blackbird. NASA possessed two YF-12s at its Dryden Flight Research Center which could be used by researchers at all the NASA centers. During its nine-year life, the Dryden’s YF-12 research program logged 297 flights with approximately 450 flight hours. Lewis researchers were studying the YF-12’s inlet airflow in the 10- by 10-foot wind tunnel in late 1977. The advanced supersonic cruise aircraft of the time used mixed-compression inlets. These types of inlets were prone to flameout during atmospheric disturbances. Researchers at Lewis and Dryden developed a program to study these flameouts by artificially introducing flow disturbances. Testing at Dryden with a specially-equipped YF-12 aircraft yielded limited results. Lewis’ tests in the 10- by 10 were unsuccessful at inducing upstream disturbances. The researchers used two methods—a falling plate and a servo-driven wing.
Artist: Rick Guidace This artist concept depicts the rings of Uranus in polar rotation as discovered by NASA Ames C-141 Kuiper Airborne Observatory
Composite Photo U-2 Aircraft in flight around the moon with the planet Earth in the background.
Once the United States' space program had progressed from Earth's orbit into outerspace, the prospect of building and maintaining a permanent presence in space was realized. To accomplish this feat, NASA launched a temporary workstation, Skylab, to discover the effects of low gravity and weightlessness on the human body, and also to develop tools and equipment that would be needed in the future to build and maintain a more permanent space station. The structures, techniques, and work schedules had to be carefully designed to fit this unique construction site. The components had to be lightweight for transport into orbit, yet durable. The station also had to be made with removable parts for easy servicing and repairs by astronauts. All of the tools necessary for service and repairs had to be designed for easy manipulation by a suited astronaut. And construction methods had to be efficient due to limited time the astronauts could remain outside their controlled environment. In lieu of all the specific needs for this project, an environment on Earth had to be developed that could simulate a low gravity atmosphere. A Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS) was constructed by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in 1968. Since then, NASA scientists have used this facility to understand how humans work best in low gravity and also provide information about the different kinds of structures that can be built.Pictured is an experiment where the astronaut is required to move a large object which weighed 19,000 pounds. It was moved with realitive ease once the astronaut became familiar with his environment and his near weightless condition. Experiments of this nature provided scientists with the information needed regarding weight and mass allowances astronauts could manage in preparation for building a permanent space station in the future.
NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft launched atop its Titan/Centaur-6 launch vehicle from the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex in Florida on September 5, 1977, at 8:56 a.m. local time. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21746
A technician prepares a 2.25 percent scale model of the space shuttle for a base heat study in the 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. This space shuttle project, begun here in July 1976, was aimed at evaluating base heating and pressure prior to the Shuttle’s first lift-off scheduled for 1979. The space shuttle was expected to experience multifaceted heating and pressure distributions during the first and second stages of its launch. Engineers needed to understand these issues in order to design proper thermal protection. The test’s specific objectives were to measure the heat transfer and pressure distributions around the orbiter’s external tank and solid rocket afterbody caused by rocket exhaust recirculation and impingement, to measure the heat transfer and pressure distributions caused by rocket exhaust-induced separation, and determine gas recovery temperatures using gas temperature probes and heated base components. The shuttle model’s main engines and solid rockets were first fired and then just the main engines to simulate a launch during the testing. Lewis researchers conducted 163 runs in the 10- by 10 during the test program.
Artist: Rick Guidice Artist conception of surface of Venus
View of OPF High Bay No. 1, 513 workstand installation, August 23, 1977
Environmental Portrait of Christine M. Darden. Supersonic Aerodynamics Branch
First Captive Flight of DAST Mated to B-52 - Close-up from Below
Astronauts Fred W. Haise, Jr., Commander, left, and C. Gordon Fullerton in the cockpit of the Space Shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" prior to the fifth and final FF in the Approach and Landing Test (ALT) series, from DFRC. Original photo number was 77-HC-446. DFRC, CA
Straight Space Shuttle orbiter (OA-144) test-118 in 9x7ft w.t.
This illustration is a cutaway of the solid rocket booster (SRB) sections with callouts. The Shuttle's two SRB's are the largest solids ever built and the first designed for refurbishment and reuse. Standing nearly 150-feet high, the twin boosters provide the majority of thrust for the first two minutes of flight, about 5.8 million pounds, augmenting the Shuttle's main propulsion system during liftoff. The major design drivers for the solid rocket motors (SRM's) were high thrust and reuse. The desired thrust was achieved by using state-of-the-art solid propellant and by using a long cylindrical motor with a specific core design that allows the propellant to burn in a carefully controlled marner. At burnout, the boosters separate from the external tank and drop by parachute to the ocean for recovery and subsequent refurbishment. The boosters are designed to survive water impact at almost 60 miles per hour, maintain flotation with minimal damage, and preclude corrosion of the hardware exposed to the harsh seawater environment. Under the project management of the Marshall Space Flight Center, the SRB's are assembled and refurbished by the United Space Boosters. The SRM's are provided by the Morton Thiokol Corporation.
S77-28541 (23 Sept 1977) --- The NASA 747 carrier aircraft and six T-38 jets fly over the shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" soon after completion of a five-minute, 34-second unpowered mission during the third of a series of Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) free-flights. Crew for the September 23, 1977, flight were astronauts Fred W. Haise Jr., commander, and C. Gordon Fullerton, pilot. Touchdown was 786 feet beyond aim point in the desert land of Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California.
View of OPF High Bay No. 1, Level 13 platform installation, July 8, 1977
N-218 aerial view of the Ames 14ft Transonic Wind Tunnel (demolished in 2008)
PAO news release material for the 5th and final FF of the ALT series. Precise moment of separation captured by camera from a T-38 chase plane.
S77-28212 (13 Sept 1977) --- Astronauts Joe H. Engle (right), commander, and Richard H. Truly, pilot, sit in the cockpit of the shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" at the Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) prior to takeoff of the NASA 747 carrier aircraft to which the "Enterprise" was mated. The pair later made a five-minute, 31-second free-flight in the craft, the second in a series of such flights for the Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) program. The photograph was made from the Mate-Demate Device (MDD).
S77-27512 (12 Aug 1977) --- The Shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" soars above the NASA 747 carrier aircraft only seconds after separating during the first free flight of the Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALTs) conducted on August 12, 1977 at Dryden Flight Research Center in Southern California. Astronauts Fred W. Haise Jr., and C. Gordon Fullerton were the crew of the "Enterprise." The ALT free flights are designed to verify Orbiter subsonic airworthiness, integrated systems operations and pilot-guided approach and landing capability and satisfying prerequisites to automatic flight control and navigation mode.
Portrait of Samuel J. Scott working in the Office of Directors for Structures NASA Langley. Photograph taken May 1977.
View of OPF High Bay No. 1, nose area platform installation, March 11, 1977
Public Affairs Office (PAO) release print of activity documenting third "free flight" of Shuttle Orbiter 101 Spacecraft at DFRC, Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB), CA. Astronauts Haise and Fullerton arrive at the Mate-Demate Device (MDD) and greet technicians prior to ingress.
Artist: Rick Guidice Artist conception of surface of Venus.
Once the United States' space program had progressed from Earth's orbit into outerspace, the prospect of building and maintaining a permanent presence in space was realized. To accomplish this feat, NASA launched a temporary workstation, Skylab, to discover the effects of low gravity and weightlessness on the human body, and also to develop tools and equipment that would be needed in the future to build and maintain a more permanent space station. The structures, techniques, and work schedules had to be carefully designed to fit this unique construction site. The components had to be lightweight for transport into orbit, yet durable. The station also had to be made with removable parts for easy servicing and repairs by astronauts. All of the tools necessary for service and repairs had to be designed for easy manipulation by a suited astronaut. Construction methods had to be efficient due to the limited time the astronauts could remain outside their controlled environment. In lieu of all the specific needs for this project, an environment on Earth had to be developed that could simulate a low gravity atmosphere. A Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS) was constructed by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in 1968. Since then, NASA scientists have used this facility to understand how humans work best in low gravity and also provide information about the different kinds of structures that can be built. With the help of the NBS, building a space station became more of a reality. Pictured is Astronaut Paul Weitz training on a mock-up of Spacelab's airlock-hatch cover. Training was also done on the use of foot restraints which had recently been developed to help astronauts maintain their positions during space walks rather than having their feet float out from underneath them while they tried to perform maintenance and repair operations. Every aspect of every space mission was researched and demonstrated in the NBS. Using the airlock hatch cover and foot restraints were just a small example of the preparation that went into each mission.
S77-27546 (12 Aug 1977) --- An overall view of Mission Control Operations in the Mission Control Center, bldg 30, at JSC, during the first free flight of the Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALTs) conducted on August 12, 1977 at the Dryden Flight Research Center in Southern California. This view is looking across the console of flight director Donald R. Puddy. The television monitor in the background shows the Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" landing following its five minute 23-second unpowered free flight.
Q-Fan configuration in the Ames Research Center's 40x80ft. Subsonic Wind Tunnel with test engineer Mark Betzina.
NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft, encapsulated within its payload fairing, is seen on August 5, 1977. It launched atop the Titan/Centaur-7 launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on August 20, 1977, at 10:29 a.m. local time. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21742
S77-28542 (23 Sept 1977) --- The shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" separates from the NASA 747 carrier aircraft during the third free flight of the Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) conducted on September 23, 1977, at the Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) in Southern California. The vehicle, with astronauts Fred W. Haise Jr., commander, and C. Gordon Fullerton, pilot, remained in unpowered flight for five-minutes and 34-seconds before landing on the desert land of Edwards Air Force Base.
S77-28649 (23 Sept 1977) --- The shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" sits atop the NASA 747 carrier aircraft in a piggy-back configuration prior to separation for the third free flight of the Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) conducted on September 23, 1977, at the Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) in Southern California. The crew of the "enterprise" consisted of astronauts Fred W. Haise Jr., commander, and C. Gordon Fullerton, pilot. This photo was shot from one of the T-38 chase planes accompanying the ALT craft. Three other T-38 chase planes are pictured.
Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster Drop Test Vehicle (SRB-DTV) first release from NB-52B
The Voyager 1 aboard the Titan III/Centaur lifted off on September 5, 1977, joining its sister spacecraft, the Voyager 2, on a mission to the outer planets.
Soviet COSMOS unmanned biosatellite