Overview of NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center's program on knowledge of atmospheric processes

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is charged with the responsibility to enhance aviation safety through improving understanding of various atmospheric phenomena. A brief discussion is presented concerning the tasks and work being accomplished by MSFC. The tasks are defined as follows: (1) to determine and define the turbulence and steady wind environments induced by buildings, towers, hills, trees, etc., (2) to identify, develop, and apply natural environment technology for the reconstruction and/or simulation of the natural environment for aircraft accident investigation and hazard identification, (3) to develop basic information about free atmosphere perturbations, (4) to develop and apply fog modification mathematical models to assess candidate fog modification schemes and to develop appropriate instrumentation to aquire basic data about fog. To accomplish these tasks MSFC has developed a program involving field data acquisition, wind tunnel studies, theoretical studies, data analysis, and flight simulation studies

Maxometers (peak wind speed anemometers)

An instrument for measuring peak wind speeds under severe environmental conditions is described, comprising an elongated cylinder housed in an outer casing. The cylinder contains a piston attached to a longitudinally movable guided rod having a pressure disk mounted on one projecting end. Wind pressure against the pressure disk depresses the movable rod. When the wind reaches its maximum speed, the rod is locked by a ball clutch mechanism in the position of maximum inward movement. Thereafter maximum wind speed or pressure readings may be taken from calibrated indexing means

NASA/MSFC FY-83 Atmospheric Research Review

Atmospheric research conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center in FY 1983 is discussed. Clear air turbulence, gusts, and fog dispersal near airports is discussed. The use of Doppler Lidar signals in discussed, as are low level flow conditions that are hazardous to aircraft

Significant events in low-level flow conditions hazardous to aircraft

Atmospheric parameters recorded during high surface winds are analyzed to determine magnitude, frequency, duration, and simultaneity of occurrence of low level flow conditions known to be hazardous to the ascent and descent of conventional aircraft and the space shuttle. Graphic and tabular presentations of mean and extreme values and simultaneous occurrences of turbulence (gustiness and a gust factor), wind shear (speed and direction), and vertical motion (updrafts and downdrafts), along with associated temperature inversions are included as function of tower height, layer and/or distance for six 5 sec intervals (one interval every 100 sec) of parameters sampled simultaneously at the rate of 10 speeds, directions and temperatures per second during an approximately 10 min period

Wind speed and direction shears with associated vertical motion during strong surface winds

Strong surface winds recorded at the NASA 150-Meter Ground Winds Tower facility at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, are analyzed to present occurrences representative of wind shear and vertical motion known to be hazardous to the ascent and descent of conventional aircraft and the Space Shuttle. Graphical (percentage frequency distributions) and mathematical (maximum, mean, standard deviation) descriptions of wind speed and direction shears and associated updrafts and downdrafts are included as functions of six vertical layers and one horizontal distance for twenty 5-second intervals of parameters sampled simultaneously at the rate of ten per second during a period of high surface winds

B-57B gust gradient program

The NASA B-57B Gust Gradient Program (GGP) is a NASA multicenter program. The program objectives are presented. The primary objective is to get wind gust data which can be used in new design criteria for aeronautical systems. The GGP data could also be used to provide turbulence information for use in simulation programs. This program is outlined

B-57B gust gradient program

Analysis of data obtained from the Joint Airport Weather Studies Flights 6 and 7 is underway. Data from Flight 7 indicate that the B-57B encountered the upper portion of an outflow feature (microburst) at an altitude of 400 meters above ground level. Horizontal wind vector plots along the flight path have provided clues concerning the meteorological setting of the flights. In addition to suspected outflow features, wavelike variations of the horizontal wind vectors were observed. Statistical studies of gust gradients were undertaken with the goal of fitting probability density functions to the data. As expected, the density functions were highly non-Gaussian. Spectral analyses are proceeding and several spectral models for the gust gradient data are being investigated

Low-level gust gradient program and avialtion workshop effort

The Proceedings of the Workshop on Meteorological and Environmental Inputs to Aviation Systems, hosted by the University of Tennessee Space Institute, October 26-28, 1982, were prepared for publication. The Proceedings were submitted to FAA and will be distributed by August. Also, the proceedings of a one day workshop devoted specifically to wind shear and hosted during the same time frame were prepared and distributed. Plans for the 1983 workshop are proceeding extremely well. The workshop theme was established, the committee topics identified, and all ten committee chairmen contacted have agreed to accept their respective assignments. Additional logistics for the workshop are being carried out. The 1983 workshop is scheduled for October 26-28, 1983. Data gathered with the B-57B during the Joint Airport Weather Studies Project in Denver, Colorado, were analyzed. All runs for Flight 6 on July 16, 1982, were analyzed. Spectra, cross spectra and probability distributions were computed for each run. Also, Runs 10-14 of Flight 7 on July 15, 1982, were analyzed in similar detail

STS-38 Space Shuttle mission report

The STS-38 Space Shuttle Program Mission Report contains a summary of the vehicle subsystem activities on this thirty-seventh flight of the Space Shuttle and the seventh flight of the Orbiter vehicle Atlantis (OV-104). In addition to the Atlantis vehicle, the flight vehicle consisted of an External Tank (ET) (designated as ET-40/LWT-33), three Space Shuttle main engines (SSME's) (serial numbers 2019, 2022, 2027), and two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB's), designated as BI-039. The STS-38 mission was a classified Department of Defense mission, and as much, the classified portions of the mission are not presented in this report. The sequence of events for this mission is shown. The significant problems that occurred in the Space Shuttle Orbiter subsystem during the mission are summarized and the official problem tracking list is presented. In addition, each Space Shuttle Orbiter problem is cited in the subsystem discussion

STS-41 Space Shuttle mission report

The STS-41 Space Shuttle Program Mission Report contains a summary of the vehicle subsystem activities on this thirty-sixth flight of the Space Shuttle and the eleventh flight of the Orbiter vehicle, Discovery (OV-103). In addition to the Discovery vehicle, the flight vehicle consisted of an External Tank (ET) (designated as ET-39/LWT-32), three Space Shuttle main engines (SSME's) (serial numbers 2011, 2031, and 2107), and two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB's), designated as BI-040. The primary objective of the STS-41 mission was to successfully deploy the Ulysses/inertial upper stage (IUS)/payload assist module (PAM-S) spacecraft. The secondary objectives were to perform all operations necessary to support the requirements of the Shuttle Backscatter Ultraviolet (SSBUV) Spectrometer, Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE), Space Life Sciences Training Program Chromosome and Plant Cell Division in Space (CHROMEX), Voice Command System (VCS), Physiological Systems Experiment (PSE), Radiation Monitoring Experiment - 3 (RME-3), Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP), Air Force Maui Optical Calibration Test (AMOS), and Intelsat Solar Array Coupon (ISAC) payloads. The sequence of events for this mission is shown in tabular form. Summarized are the significant problems that occurred in the Orbiter subsystems during the mission. The official problem tracking list is presented. In addition, each Orbiter problem is cited in the subsystem discussion