Andrew Yee
September 16th 05, 01:07 AM
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Media Contact:
Laura Ost, (301) 975-4034
September 9, 2005
NIST Shielding Data Help Launch Shuttle
As the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans for the
next launch of the space shuttle, a critical aspect of the program's
safety is being assured by 5 million pieces of data collected recently by
the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
To help prevent a repeat of the 2003 accident when launch debris damaged
the shuttle Columbia, causing it to break up on re-entry, NASA has begun
illuminating shuttles with tracking radars during launches and ascent to
detect and quantify potential hazards. Concerns about possible disruption
of onboard electronic guidance and control systems led NASA to request
NIST's help in determining how much radar energy can penetrate the orbiter
in key locations.
During the launch of Discovery in July, radar was used to track debris
during ascent and NASA considered the NIST shielding data vital to the
resumption of shuttle flights.
NIST has been conducting research in this area for several years and has
developed a portable system that efficiently measures the electromagnetic
shielding characteristics of airframes. The system previously has been
used to evaluate both commercial and military aircraft. NIST engineers
visited the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to evaluate the space shuttle
Endeavor and the hanger in which the measurements were made.
The NIST system incorporates ultra-wideband antennas, a precision optical
link between them, and a computerized data analysis system. The two-step
measurement process consisted of a reference measurement with the
transmitting and receiving antennas outside the shuttle, and a penetration
measurement with the receiving antennas at selected locations inside the
orbiter. A computerized comparison of these two measurements over specific
time periods and frequency bands provided a measure of shielding
characteristics in the frequency range 30 megahertz to 6 gigahertz. The
data enabled NASA to set safe power levels on radar systems used to detect
debris.
IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/images/05EEEL017_ShuttleShielding_HR.jpg
(2MB)]
NIST researchers Dennis Camell (left), Chriss Grosvenor (on the ground),
and Nino Canales assemble an antenna tower used in the NIST system for
measuring the space shuttle's electromagnetic shielding.
Image credit: Photo by David Novotny/NIST
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Media Contact:
Laura Ost, (301) 975-4034
September 9, 2005
NIST Shielding Data Help Launch Shuttle
As the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans for the
next launch of the space shuttle, a critical aspect of the program's
safety is being assured by 5 million pieces of data collected recently by
the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
To help prevent a repeat of the 2003 accident when launch debris damaged
the shuttle Columbia, causing it to break up on re-entry, NASA has begun
illuminating shuttles with tracking radars during launches and ascent to
detect and quantify potential hazards. Concerns about possible disruption
of onboard electronic guidance and control systems led NASA to request
NIST's help in determining how much radar energy can penetrate the orbiter
in key locations.
During the launch of Discovery in July, radar was used to track debris
during ascent and NASA considered the NIST shielding data vital to the
resumption of shuttle flights.
NIST has been conducting research in this area for several years and has
developed a portable system that efficiently measures the electromagnetic
shielding characteristics of airframes. The system previously has been
used to evaluate both commercial and military aircraft. NIST engineers
visited the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to evaluate the space shuttle
Endeavor and the hanger in which the measurements were made.
The NIST system incorporates ultra-wideband antennas, a precision optical
link between them, and a computerized data analysis system. The two-step
measurement process consisted of a reference measurement with the
transmitting and receiving antennas outside the shuttle, and a penetration
measurement with the receiving antennas at selected locations inside the
orbiter. A computerized comparison of these two measurements over specific
time periods and frequency bands provided a measure of shielding
characteristics in the frequency range 30 megahertz to 6 gigahertz. The
data enabled NASA to set safe power levels on radar systems used to detect
debris.
IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/images/05EEEL017_ShuttleShielding_HR.jpg
(2MB)]
NIST researchers Dennis Camell (left), Chriss Grosvenor (on the ground),
and Nino Canales assemble an antenna tower used in the NIST system for
measuring the space shuttle's electromagnetic shielding.
Image credit: Photo by David Novotny/NIST