Orion drop test successful

Orion parachute drop. NASA photo

NASA conducted a drop test of the Orion crew vehicle's parachutes over the Arizona desert last week in preparation for its orbital flight test in 2014. Orion will carry astronauts deep into space, and will include an emergency abort capability. A C-130 plane dropped the Orion test article from an altitude of 25,000 feet above the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Grounds. Orion's drogue chutes were deployed between 15,000 and 20,000 feet, followed by the pilot parachutes, which then deployed two main landing parachutes. (Source: NASA, 12/21/11) Gulf Coast note: Lockheed Martin builds Orion at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

A year of J-2X testing

A-2 Test Control Center at SSC. NASA photo

NASA has provided a year-end wrap-up of the work that's been done on the J-2X engine, which will power the heavy-lift Space Launch System's second stage. It's the first human-rated rocket engine to be developed in 40 years, and NASA and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne are setting new records in rocket engine development with the first J-2X engine unit, E10001. During the year it went through its first 10 tests probing engine performance and accumulated a total hot-fire test run time of 1,040 seconds at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss. "E10001 got to 100 percent power in just four tests and achieved a full flight-duration test of 500 seconds in its eighth test, quicker than any other U.S. engine program in history," said Tom Byrd, J-2X engine lead in the SLS Liquid Engines Office. The J-2X engine test program will need only five percent the number of tests required to develop the original J-2 engine. (Source: NASA, 12/21/11) Previous post

December Lagniappe available

The December issue of Lagniappe, the monthly newsletter about NASA activities at Stennis Space Center, is available for download. The issue has a story about Stennis Space Center being ranked as one of the best places to work; a story on J-2X testing as well as preparations for the J-2X powerpack testing; the arrival of the Pegasus barge and more. (Source: Lagniappe, December 2011)

Another test done on AEHF

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. - Raytheon Co. has successfully tested with the Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite that will provide secure communications for the military. Raytheon's U.S. Navy Multiband Terminal (NMT) is the second operationally fielded terminal to interoperate with an on-orbit AEHF satellite after the recent success of the company's U.S. Army Secure Mobile Anti-jam Reliable Tactical Terminal (SMART-T). The first AEHF satellite, launched in August 2010, recently began a set of operational tests. The AEHF, designed to replace the Milstar system, is a joint service satellite communications system for high-priority military ground, sea and air assets. (Source: Raytheon, 12/20/11) The Lockheed Martin AEHF satellite's core propulsion module is built at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Previous

NASA picks SBIR technologies

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA selected 85 small business proposals to enter into negotiations for Phase II contract awards through the agency's Small Business Innovation Research Program. The projects have a total value of about $63 million. One of the projects involves technology being developed for the Office of the Chief Technologist at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center. StormCenterCommmunications Inc. of Baltimore, Md., is developing tools for multiple geobrowsers to communicate over the Internet. The SBIR program encourages small businesses to engage in federal research, development and commercialization, enabling them to explore technological potential while providing the incentive to profit from new commercial products and services. (Source: NASA, 12/20/11)

FTS completes Korea survey

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- A five-person crew from Fleet Survey Team (FST) returned from South Korea last month after a 33-day survey of the Han River, looking for unaccounted-for U.S. servicemen from the Korean War. FST was looking for the crash sites of three U.S. aircraft in support of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC). No aircraft remains were positively identified, but FST will provide JPAC with detailed bathymetry and sidescan imagery of the area surveyed for further analysis. FST is a rapid-response team with capabilities to conduct quick-turnaround hydrographic surveys anywhere in the world. (Source: NNS, 12/12/11)

AJ26 No. 8 tested at SSC

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- There was another successful test firing of Aerojet's AJ26 engine No. 8 Thursday in support of Orbital Science Corp.'s program to launch a cargo mission to the International Space Station. The next test of an AJ26, this one engine No. 9, is slated for January. Once the data is reviewed and the engine is inspected, it will be shipped to the launch site at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia for installation on Orbital's Antares rocket, the new name for the medium-class launch vehicle previously called Taurus II. The Aerojet engines will power the first stage of the Antares. Orbital is part of NASA's ongoing Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Contract. (Source: NASA, 12/15/11) Previous AJ26 test post

SSC wraps up J-2X 2011 tests

J-2X engine test Dec. 14, 2011. NASA photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA conducted its final J-2X rocket engine test of the year Wednesday, the 10th firing in a series on the upper-stage engine for the Space Launch System. The engine was test fired on the A-2 stand at 100 percent power for engine performance calibration and the effects of fuel inlet pressure variations. The engine, No. 10001, will be moved from the stand to allow for addition of a nozzle extension and associated test facility modifications needed for additional engine tests in 2012. J-2X engines 10002 through 10004 are being manufactured for hot fire testing at Stennis planned through 2014. In addition, tests of the J-2X powerpack are scheduled for 2012. On Thursday SSC is scheduled to test the Aerojet AJ26 engine. (Source: NASA, 12/14/11)

South Miss hotspot for defense jobs

A new report ranks South Mississippi as one of the top five less-known regions in the country for defense jobs. The report released Tuesday by ClearanceJobs.com said defense spending, notably in shipbuilding and aerospace, helped rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Katrina. The report said South Mississippi has jobs for rocket scientists, oceanographers, cyber-security personnel, geospatial analysts, technical trainers and test engineers. South Mississippi is home to NASA's Stennis Space Center, and the Navy is a big tenant. It's also home to the Navy Seabees, Keesler Air Force Base and major shipbuilding activities. Detroit, Omaha, Neb., Seattle, and Mohawk Valley in upstate New York also were named in the top five. (Source: Sun Herald, PRNewswire, 12/13/11)

Engines to be tested this week

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – Two rocket engine tests are scheduled this week at Stennis Space Center. On Wednesday NASA will conduct another in a series of tests on the J-2X rocket engine being developed by Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne for NASA's Space Launch System. The test is at the A-2 stand. NASA did a combustion stability test of the J-2X Dec. 1. On Thursday there will be a test of the Aeroject AJ26 rocket engine that will power Orbital Sciences Corp.’s commercial cargo flights to the International Space Station. (Source: NASA, 12/13/11)

SSC to test Blue Origin engines

Another commercial engine will be tested at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss., next spring, according to NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver. She made the announcement while visiting Blue Origin in Kent, Wash., Thursday. The company is one of NASA's commercial partners developing systems to reach low Earth orbit as part of the Commercial Crew Development Program. Garver said Blue Origin has delivered its BE-3 engine thrust chamber assembly, the engine's combustion chamber and nozzle, to SSC, where testing will begin in April 2012 on the E-1 Test Stand. The company is developing a reusable launch vehicle, designed to take off and land vertically, and an escape system for its crewed spacecraft. "We're delighted Blue Origin is taking advantage of Stennis, a center with a long record of propulsion testing from the dawn of the Space Age, to test the rocket engines of the future," Garver said. (Source: NASA, 12/08/11)

Undersea robots get smarter

ARLINGTON, Va. – Underwater robots that can make their own decisions? According to the Office of Naval Research, scientists have successfully transitioned fundamental research in autonomy to undersea gliders, demonstrating in sea tests in the Pacific how the new software can help robots become smarter at surveying large swaths of ocean. "Using the new algorithms, the vehicle has a greater ability to make its own decisions without requiring a human in the loop," said Marc Steinberg, program officer for ONR's Adaptive Networks for Threat and Intrusion Detection or Termination (ANTIDOTE). With plans to deploy squadrons of air, surface and undersea robotic vehicles later this decade, the Navy is investing in basic research programs to improve autonomous system capabilities. (Source: NNS, 12/02/11) Note: The Naval Oceanographic Office at NASA's Stennis Space Center operates a fleet of underwater vehicles; the ONR's Naval Research Lab has a detachment at SSC.

SLS booster to be discussed

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- NASA will host an industry day at the Marshall Space Flight Center to share information on an upcoming NASA Research Announcement for the Space Launch System's advanced booster. Marshall is leading the design and development of the SLS. The 130-metric ton vehicle will require an advanced booster with a significant increase in thrust over existing U.S. liquid or solid boosters. Its first full-scale test flight is set for 2017. The industry day is Dec. 15 at 9 a.m. CST in the Morris Auditorium in Marshall's building 4200. (Source: NASA, 12/07/11) Note: NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, are both involved in the SLS project.

Upgraded powerpack ready to test

J-2X powerpack at A-1 stand. NASA photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- An upgraded J-2X powerpack has been installed on the A-1 Test Stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center and will be tested next month. The powerpack that was installed Monday consists of a gas generator and turbopumps. The powerpack pumps liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the J-2X's main combustion chamber to produce the needed thrust. The Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne J-2X is designed to provide 294,000 pounds of thrust, up from the 230,000-pound capability of the original J-2 used in the Apollo program. It took two years to modify the A-1 stand for the test series. (Source: NASA, 12/06/11)

Naval oceanography hits 181

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Navy Meteorology and Oceanography Command celebrated its 181st birthday Dec. 6 with activities at its offices and installations throughout the world. "This birthday celebration is important because it reminds us of our legacy, and it reminds us that what we do is important and why," said Rear Adm. Jonathan White, NMOC commander. Naval oceanography traces its roots to 1830 with establishment of the Depot of Charts and Instruments. Early focus was on safety of navigation with surveys of coastlines and islands. Today Navy oceanographers use complex computer models to predict ocean conditions every day. NMOC is the only organization to predict ocean conditions for operations. Navy oceanographers also are the Navy's experts in the operation of unmanned underwater vehicles. (Source: NNS, 11/06/11)

Millions in work on the table

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is ready to put $200 million of work for the heavy launch Space Launch System on the table. NASA announced its intentions Dec. 1 and modified the announcement Dec. 2 on the government contracting website fbo.gov. The agency said it will issue a "Draft Research Announcement" around Dec. 12. NASA is seeking research proposals to meet the "goal of reducing risk in the areas of affordability, performance, and reliability" in the new rocket's booster, scheduled to make its first flight in 2017. (Source: Huntsville Times, 12/05/11) Gulf Coast note: Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, are both involved in the SLS project.

Big biofuel purchase made

F/A 18 with green markings. Navy photo

WASHINGTON -- The Defense Logistics Agency is buying 450,000 gallons of drop-in biofuel, accelerating demonstration of a homegrown fuel source that can reduce dependence on foreign oil. The biofuel is made from a blend of non-food waste from the Louisiana-based Dynamic Fuels LLC and algae produced by Solazyme. The fuel will be used in the Navy's demonstration of a Green Strike Group in the summer of 2012 during the Rim of the Pacific Exercise. The biofuel will be mixed with aviation gas or marine diesel fuel for use in the demonstration. In preparation for the demonstration, the Navy recently completed testing of all aircraft, including F/A-18 and all six Blue Angels and the V-22 Osprey, and has successfully tested the RCB-X (riverine command boat), training patrol craft, self defense test ship, and conducted full-scale gas turbine engine testing. (Source: NNS, 12/05/11) Gulf Coast note: Dynamic Fuels, a joint venture of Tyson Foods Inc., and Syntroleum Corp., is building a synthetic fuels plant in Geismar, La., between Baton Rouge and New Orleans; the Blue Angels are based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.; riverine craft are used by special warfare units at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Orion water landing test set

A test version of the Orion crew capsule will take its final splash of the year Dec. 13 at the Hydro Impact Basin of NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. Testing began this summer to certify the Orion spacecraft for water landings. Since July, engineers have conducted six tests from different angles, heights and pitches to simulate varying sea conditions and impacts Orion could face upon landing in the Pacific Ocean. The Hydro Impact Basin is 115 feet long, 90 feet wide and 20 feet deep. (Source: NASA, 12/05/11) Note: Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans assembles the Orion crew capsule; NASA's Stennis Space Center is where engines are tested for the heavy-lift vehicle that will carry Orion.

J-2X combustion stability tested

J-2X combustion stablity test. NASA photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - NASA conducted a stability test firing of the J-2X rocket engine Thursday on the A-2 test stand at Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi. The upper-stage engine is being developed to carry humans farther into space than ever before. The 80-second test firing focused on characterizing the new engine's combustion stability. During the test, a controlled explosion was initiated inside the engine's combustion chamber to introduce an energetic pulse of vibrations not expected during nominal operations. Data from this and future combustion stability tests will help engineers understand more about the engine's performance and robustness during operation. The engine is being developed by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and will provide upper-stage power for NASA's new Space Launch System. The SLS will carry the Orion spacecraft, its crew, cargo, equipment and science experiments to space. (Source: NASA, 12/01/11)

SSC security contract awarded

NASA has selected ISS Action Inc. of Jamaica, N.Y., to provide protective services at the agency's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Miss. The firm, fixed price contract consists of a base period of eight months and four one-year option periods; with a total value of $25.9 million. ISS Action Inc. will provide security services at Stennis, including physical security operations, personnel security, access control, badging, 911 dispatch center, access monitoring, traffic control and locksmith services. (Source: PRNewswire, 12/01/11)