Shuttle TPS thermal performance and analysis methodology

Thermal performance of the thermal protection system was approximately as predicted. The only extensive anomalies were filler bar scorching and over-predictions in the high Delta p gap heating regions of the orbiter. A technique to predict filler bar scorching has been developed that can aid in defining a solution. Improvement in high Delta p gap heating methodology is still under study. Minor anomalies were also examined for improvements in modeling techniques and prediction capabilities. These include improved definition of low Delta p gap heating, an analytical model for inner mode line convection heat transfer, better modeling of structure, and inclusion of sneak heating. The limited number of problems related to penetration items that presented themselves during orbital flight tests were resolved expeditiously, and designs were changed and proved successful within the time frame of that program

The Chainsaw and the White Oak: From Astrobiology to Environmental Sustainability

An American biology professor befriends a Costa Rican farmer who through their relationship stops farming and forest clearing to establish a tourist and research center devoted to saving the country\u27s cloud forest. The Chacon family\u27s experience provides a studied model of sustainability, known in environmental circles as the White Oak Model