Presented by:
Steve Parker
Stephen F. Austin
State University
Department of Physics
and Astronomy
Greg Rodgers
Brief Overview
• Reduced Gravity Student Flight
Opportunities Program
• Origin of Project
• Experiences
• Future flights and Research
• Acknowledgements
• Multimedia
Reduced Gravity Student
Flight Opportunities Program
(RGSFOP)
• RGSFOP is a program sponsored by
NASA and administered by the Texas
Space Grant Consortium
• There goal is to prepare “America’s
college Students for Research Aboard the
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION”
RGSFOP Homepage
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• Reduced Gravity Program is operated by
NASA
• Based out of Johnson Space Center
• Flights out of Ellington AFB in Houston,
Texas and Glenn Research Center in
Cleveland, Ohio
• Student Flight Opportunities is flown out
of Houston, Texas only
• Fly DC-9 and modified KC-135 aircraft
• KC-135 is a converted “tanker” and is a
variant of the Boeing 707
• Only KC-135 is flown for Student Flight
Opportunities
• “Weightless Wonder V” was built in 1963 and
has used approximately ½ of its parabolic
lifespan by time of flight
Flight Operations Web page
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• “The Texas Space Grant Consortium is a
group of 34 institutions which include
universities, industrial organizations, nonprofit organizations, and government
agencies within Texas that are joined to
ensure that the benefits of space research
and technology are available to all Texans.”
• Includes Universities, Colleges, and High
Schools
• Administered the RGSFOP for seven years
• Contact point for proposals and general
questions relating to student flight
opportunities
• Offer grants and scholarships to members
of their organization
• Offered SFA a grant to cover travel
expenses
• Has recently announced that they will no
longer administer the Student Flight
Opportunities, but will continue to support
their other interests
TSGC Homepage
Back
• SFA decided to participate in this program
• Sent a team to fly on the KC-135 using the
Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)
• Team members:
Steve Parker – Team Contact
Greg Rodgers
Ryan Williams
Ryan Meador
Michael Johnson
Team Web page
Advisor: Dr. Robert Friedfeld
Origin of Project
• A team of four started over two years ago
with several ideas
– Build own active vibration isolation unit
– Build a vacuum chamber
– Try Electrodepositing Copper Indium
Diselenide (CuInSe2) onto substrate
– Growing Crystal structures
• Problems with some of the ideas
– Active Vibration Isolation systems are
complicated and expensive
– Electrodeposition takes 5 to 10 minutes
– Time for crystal growth
• Settled on flying and successfully imaging
with the AFM and if possible achieving
atomic resolution
• Speculated that vibrations from the
platform, whether KC-135 or ISS, were a
serious problem
– Purchased a commercial brand active vibration
platform to correct problem
• Acoustical sounds were a problem
– Built a vacuum chamber
• Started with design ideas and improved them
– CAD drawings
• Simultaneously started on the paperwork for
the Spring 2001 Proposal
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Needed to have clear objective/goal
Describe aspects of experiment
Considered safety factors
Weight requirements
Reasons NASA/TSGC should allow for research
Costs
Public Outreach
• First proposal was denied
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• Started on Summer 2001 proposal
– Clarified why this would be beneficial for
NASA/TSGC
– Clarified objective/goals
– Incorporated more safety features and factors
– More specific on weights
– Better CAD drawings
– More elaborate public outreach program
• Continuing to manufacture parts and
purchase material for project
• Second proposal was accepted on April 23,
2001
• Test Equipment Data Package (TEDP) was
next hurdle
– All materials had to be listed (bolts, nuts, frame
structure, etc…)
– All voltage and current draws had to be
established
– All equipment had to be examined for safety
– Everything on assembly must take a 9-g shock
– Weight distribution for footprint must not
exceed 200 lbs/ft2
– Involved knowledge of Statics/Dynamics and
involved a great deal of calculations
• Collected additional paperwork
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Flight physicals
Emergency forms
Visitor information
Flight preference
Journalist Information
• Continued to manufacture and assemble
parts, order parts, test ideas and started a
dizzying array of checklists
• Problems encountered
– TEDP was returned for clarifications
– Design elements for frame were not working as
thought or planned
• Example:
– Footprint cannot exert more than 200 lbs/ft2
– Design sought was not practical to build
– Had to reconfigure the footprint for optimal load
distribution
– Came up with 9 steel bars that are 23 ½ in long
by 9 in wide arranged in a ladder box formation
– Example Calculation
• Take 23 ½ in x 2 in = 47 in2
• 9 bars x 47 in2 = 423 in2
• 423 in2 / 144 in2/ft2 = 2.9375 ft2
• Weight of experimental platform is
estimated at 500 lbs
• Take 500 lbs / 2.9375 ft2 = 170.2127 lbs/ft2
• This is under the 200 lbs/ft2 maximum set
by NASA and will be acceptable for use
– Few parts were not easily found
– Time running out
• Corrections were made and final assembly
occurred one week before departure to
Houston
• Padding was added to frame structure for
safety
Padding
Experiences
• Had to travel to Houston area for 11
days
– Take all supplies
– Brought backup materials
– Fortunate that we are located only 3
hours away almost all of the other teams
had to fly to Houston and had their
projects shipped by truck or air
– Only team to represent Texas until flight
days
• Upon arrival at Ellington Field each team
had to check in and make sure proper
identification was obtained
• For the first couple of days each team
had time to setup their experiment and
prepare for the Test Readiness Review
(TRR)
• This time was also used to socialize with
other Universities and Colleges
• We Were present for a welcoming
ceremony for recently returning
Astronauts
• Attendance to lectures were mandatory
– Overall almost an entire day was spent in
classrooms
– Everything from the atmosphere to survival
techniques were taught
– At the end of the class discussions a test was
given to review the past 3 days
• Everyone passed
– Place classroom video here
– Place coriolis video here
• A Hyperbaric chamber flight is required
for all individuals flying on the KC-135
aircraft
• Individuals spend approximately 90
minutes in the chamber purging their
bodies of nitrogen, experiencing first
hand the effects of hypoxia and learn how
to cope with lack of oxygen
• The chamber simulates the oxygen level
at 25,000 ft
• Place chamber video here
• Before any experiment can fly on the KC135 aircraft it must undergo scrutiny
during a Test Readiness Review (TRR)
• Seven individuals ranging from safety
engineers to aircraft maintenance
personnel review each experiment
– They listen to a two minute presentation by a
selected team member
– They ask any questions they may have and
then make suggestions on how to make your
experiment safer
– Any one of the safety officers can ground a
crew
Place video of TRR here
• After each team has completed the
chamber flight and passed the TRR they
are allowed to load their experiment onto
the aircraft
• Each team is allowed two days of flight
– For SFA 2 flight team members + 1
journalist flew on day 1 and the remaining 2
flight team members flew on day 2
• A flight lasts from 90 to 120 minutes
depending on conditions
• Anywhere from 30 to 40 parabolas are
completed during this time
• A parabola starts around 24,000 ft and its
vertex is typically near 34,000 ft
– Actual flight paths may vary
– For August 2, 2001 the “deck”, or lowest
altitude of the parabola, was reported at
7,500 ft!!!!!!
– During the top portion of a parabola
weightlessness is achieved
– At the beginning of this maneuver the tail of
the plane is “kicked” to allow the plane to
regain lift once it starts to dive
Diagrams
• The first parabola is not an easy one
– Your body tells you quickly that you should
not be there
– People have a tendency to grab on to the
nearest item and hold on for dear life
– Insert movie here (Mike)
• After about 3 completed parabolas things
begin to get easier
• Some people can adapt well enough to
endure the entire flight without getting
“sick” or becoming a “kill”
• The voyage can be unpleasant
• Concentrating on your experiment and
duties is not as easy as initially thought
• 2-g’s are experienced while the plane
pulls out of the dive
– A person can be seriously hurt if he/she does
not heed the 5 second “feet down” warning
– Moving around during 2-g’s is NOT
recommended
– Limit head movements
Future flights and Research
• There is room for improvement
• A few improvements:
– Passive vibration isolation to complement
the active vibration system
– Smaller and lighter frame structure
– Better data acquisition
• Accelerometer data
– In flight sample change
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Accelerometer Data for the Entire Flight
Landing
Turn
Around
Takeoff
Parabolas
Martian
Lunar
~2g
Ups and Down
Ups and Downs
Turn
Around
1/6 g “Lunar”
3/8 g “Martian”
“Weightless”
~2 g
Zero g
Back
• Additional flights are needed
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To acquire atomic resolution of a sample
Images
Improve the vibration isolation system
Test more than one sample
Tethered “free float” experiment
To compile a first-rate procedure for operation
To fine tune components for future placement on the
ISS
• Existing structure can be modified and used
• Other structures can be built
• Other proposals can be made and other
experiments produced
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• Other considerations:
– Funding – grants, fundraisers and donations
– Future teams
– Upcoming proposals
• Contacts:
– Dr. Robert Friedfeld
• Office – 322 I
• E-mail rfriedfeld@sfasu.edu
– Steve Parker
– Ryan Williams
Acknowledgements
• Team members
• Department of Physics and Astronomy
– Dr. Harry Downing
– Dr. Dan Bruton
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Texas Space Grant Consortium
NASA Reduced Gravity Program
Department of Biology
Bennet Montes and the use of the shop
Dr. Robert Friedfeld
– Show video of plaque and Friedfeld
Multimedia
Audio
Computer has a problem
First Parabola anxiety
Video
Take off
Parabola
Apollo 13 Filming
Ryan Meador talking w/ ground
Superman
TRR
Chamber Ride
Twirling Around