NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 19910014772: Aeronautics and Space Report of the President

180 Pages·13.4 MB·English

by  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aeronautics
and Space Report
of the President
1989-1990
Activities
1991
National Aeronautics
and Space Administration
Washington, DC 20546
Contents
Summary ..................................................................... 1 National Aeronautics and Space Administration 10
National Aeronautics and Space Administration .......... 1 Space Science and Applications .................................. 10
Department of Defense ................................................. 4 Space Transportation ................................................... 27
Department of Commerce ............................................. 4 Space Station Freedom ................................................ 34
Department of Energy ................................................... 5 Safety and Mission Quality .......................................... 36
Commercial Programs .................................................. 36
Department of the Interior ............................................ 5
Department of Agriculture ............................................. 6 Space Operations ......................................................... 39
Federal Commtinications Commission ......................... 6 Aeronautics Research and Technology ....................... 41
Department of Transportation Space Research and Technology ................................ 5l
Federal Aviation Administration ............................... 7 Human Exploration of the Moon and Mars ................ 57
Commercial Space Transportation ........................... 7
Environmental Protection Agency ................................. 7 Department of Defense ........................................... 61
National Science Foundation ......................................... 8 Space Activities ............................................................ 61
Smithsonian Institution .................................................. 8 Aeronautical Activities ................................................. 66
Department of State ....................................................... 8
Arms Control and Disarmament Agency ...................... 8 Department of Commerce ..................................... 72
United States Information Agency ................................ 9 Space Systems .............................................................. 72
Commercial Space Support ......................................... 79
Research Applications .................................................. 80
International Activities ................................................. 86
Department of Energy ............................................ 89
Space Nuclear Power Systems ..................................... 89
Nuclear Detonation Detection .................................... 93
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Appendixes
Department of the Interior .................................... 94
A-1 U.S. Spacecraft Record ...................................... 139
Remotely Sensed Data Acquisition, Processing, and
Production .............................................................. 94 A-2 World Record of Space Launches Successful
in Attaining Earth Orbit or Beyond .............. 140
Remote Sensing Research and Applications ............... 95
International Activities ............................................... 102 A-3 Successful U.S. Launches----January' 1, 1989-
September 30, 1990 ....................................... 141
B-1 U.S.-Launched Applications Satellites,
Department of Agriculture .................................. 104
1984-1990 ....................................................... 148
B-2 U.S.-Launched Scientific Satellites,
Federal Communications Commission ............. 107
Communications Satellites ......................................... 107 1984-1990 ....................................................... 150
International Conference Activities ........................... 110 B-3 U.S.-Launched Space Probes, 1975-1990 ......... 151
C U.S. and Soviet Manned Spaceflights,
1961-1990 ....................................................... !52
Department of Transportation ........................... 111
Federal Aviation Administration ................................ 111 D U.S. Space Launch Vehicles .............................. 160
Aviation Safety ............................................................ 111 E-I Space Activities of the U.S. Government:
Air Navigation and Air Traffic Control ...................... 116 Historical Budget Summary--Budget
Authority ......................................................... 161
Commercial Space Transportation ............................ 119
Chart: U.S. Space Budget--
Environmental Protection Agency ..................... 122 Budget Authority FY 1971-1990 ....................... 162
E-2 Space Activities Budget ..................................... 163
National Science Foundation ............................... 125 E-3 Aeronautics Budget ........................................... 163
F-I Executive Order 12675, Establishing the National
Smithsonian Institution ........................................ 127 Space Council ............................................... 164
F-2 U.S. National Space Policy ............................... 166
Department of State ............................................... 130 F-3 Commercial Space Launch Policy ................... 173
Arms Control and Disarmament Agency .......... 133
United gtates Information Agency ...................... 136
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iii

Executive Summary
?vote..only thL_volume reports on combined calendar year tory, the truss structure, the mobile transporter, power
1989 and fLscal .year 1990 activities. Reports published and propulsion systems, and the Attached Payloads
hereafter in this series will be based on annual fL_cal year Accommodation Equipment. NASA extensively tested
activities. hardware for the environmental control system and
selected technologies for use in the air and water recovery
This executive summary briefly describes the aero- loops. The program also refined the requirements for
nautics and space accomplishments of each of the 14 building and implementing all the ground infrastructure
participating Government organizations for calendar year essential to operate, use, and support the station over its
(CY) 1989 and fiscal year (FY) 1990. The remaining projected 30-year life. Other major program accomplish-
chapters, then, will provide more detail on each ment.s included reducing weight, power, and extra-
organization's aeronautics and space activities for these vehicular activity requirements associated with the cur-
years. rent design.
In addition, NASA continued to work closely with its
international space station partners in Europe, Canada,
National Aeronautics and Space and Japan. Several coordinated studies and reviews were
Administration
completed, and NASA and the partners continued to work
together on the program-level Integrated System Prelimi-
Human Space Flight nary Design Review expected to conclude near the end
of 1990. M1 four partners agreed on an International
/Vlajor efforts in the National Aeronautics and Space Standard Payload Rack that would facilitate commonality
Administration's (NASA) human space flight program and payload interchangeability.
focused on developing space transportation capabilities, Finally, NASA conducted advanced systems studies
carrying out space flight operations, and sending people and planning efforts to identify preliminary reference
to work in space. NASA successfully completed eight configurations for potential evolution of the station. This
shuttle missions in CY 1989 and FY 1990. These missions included analysis of possible requirements to support the
involved deploying a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, Space Exploration Initiative (SEI).
the Magellan Venus probe, the Galileo Jupiter probe, The SEI was approved by President Bush on Feb-
Syncom IV(a Navy communications satellite), the Hubble ruary 16, 1990 as a far-reaching program to return to the
Space Telescope, the retrieval of the Long Duration moon and press on toward exploration of Mars. On May
Exposure Facility, and three classified Department of 11, 1990, the President established a goal for human
Defense missions. beings on Mars by 2019. In response to this challenge, on
Another significant activity of 1989 was the naming May 31, 1990, NASA established the SEIOutreach Program.
of the new shuttle orbiter. The name "Endeavour,"
submitted by school children in the orbiter-naming con- Unmanned Expendable Launch Vehicles
test, was selected for Orbiter Vehicle 105. Endeavour is
scheduled to be completed and delivered to NASA in There were 28 unmanned expendable launch ve-
1991. hicle (ELV) launches during the nearly two-year period of
A major reassessment of the space station budget this report. Four spacecraft, originally assigned for launch
occurred in 1989, prompted by a shortfall in the Congres- from the shuttle, were reassigned to ELVs as a part of the
sional appropriation for FY 1990. During this review, mixed fleet strategy developed to assure access to space.
some management and budget changes were imple- All four of these spacecraft the Roentgen satellite, the
mented, and some capabilities were deferred until later in Combined Release and Radiation Effects satellite, the
the program, tiowever, the goal for the launch of the first Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer, and the Mars Obserx'er--
element of the station continued to be March 1995. were launched or were under contract to launch on ELVs.
In FY 1990 the Space Station program made consid- Also, NASA, in its role as "service provider," allowed
erable headway on preliminary design of hardware access to NASA facilities at direct cost to the commercial
elements such as the habitation module, the U.S. labora- launch industry.
ORIG_N;_- P2--"?'.s
OF _'0_ Q_JI.LiTY
future space science missions
in the solar system. Calendar
year 1989 heralded the be-
ginning of a burst of new
activity. In May, the shuttle
deployed the Magellan Ve-
nus probe, where it arrived
in August 1990 and began a
multi-year mission mapping
its surface. In August 1989,
after traveling 4.4billion miles
for 12 years, Voyager 2flew
past the planet Neptune ex-
citing the world with itsmany
discoveries, such as active
volcanoes on its moon Triton.
In September 1989, the im-
portance of a small mission
was demonstrated when an
instrument aboard a sound-
ing rocket captured the most
detailed series of solar flare
[
images ever obtained. In
October 1989, the Galileo
TheSyncomIV-5Navycommunications satellite leavingthecargo bayofSTS-32, Columbia,
space probe began its cir-
January10, 1990.
cuitous journey to Jupiter
NASA also sought to expand cooperative efforts after launch from the shuttle. Finally, in November 1989,
with U.S. industry to develop space and accelerate the the Cosmic Background Explorer was launched carrying
commercial application of space technologies. During instruments to measure the radiation from the "Big Bang,"
1989 and FY 1990, NASA made special progress in the primordial explosion thought to have marked the
defining an overall program of commercial space devel- creation of the universe.
opment. To this end, its Office of Commercial Programs' NASA also cooperated in search-and-rescue and
Centers for the Commercial Development of Space engaged disaster medical aid in 1989. COSPAS-SARSAT, a satellite-
significant numbers of U.S. firms in commercial space based search-and-rescue system, has saved more than
development. New technologies, products, supporting 1,400 lives in total, and the Telemedicine Spacebridge has
transportation and infrastructure systems, and business provided medical advice to earthquake victims of Soviet
enterprises have emerged as a result of these cooperative Armenia and later to victims of other Soviet disasters.
efforts. The challenge to produce a program that develops The ambitious achievements of 1989 were contin-
commercial space markets, low-cost commercial space ued through FY 1990 with a full range of scientific
transportation systems, and commercial space infrastruc- disciplines that included the launches of various satellites
ture that strengthens U.S. industrial competitiveness is including the Pegsat, the Hubble Space Telescope, the
being addressed through these efforts. Roentgen satellite, and the Combined Release and Radia-
tion Effects satellite. A new start was approved for CRAF-
Space Science and Applications Cassini, a program that will provide unprecedented
information on the origin of our solar system. CRAF (the
NASA has continued its ongoing efforts to support Comet Rendezvous/Asteroid Flyby) will analyze for the
firsttimethesolidmateriaolfwhichacometismade.
or enable our space missions and thereby support U.S.
Cassinai,fterafour-yeasrtudyofSaturnw,illmeasurtehe leadership in space through a broad-based research
atmospheroefitslargesmt oonT, itan. program. This program has continued in a quiet but
efficient manner for many years. It serves to advance
Space Communications Operations technology at the concept, subsystem, and system level;
to develop technical strengths in the engineering disci-
In 1989, the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite plines within NASA, industry, and academia; and to
System (TDRSS) became fully operational in geosynchro- perform critical flight experiments where testing in space
nous orbit, providing communications support to space- is necessary.
craft in low-Earth-orbit. This network provides communi- The Space Research and Technology program is
cation and tracking for over 85 percent of each spacecraft structured into five technology thrusts related to Space
orbit around Earth, a major advancement in space com- Science, Space Transportation, Space Station, Explora-
munications. With the previous ground-tracking network, tion, and Breakthrough Technologies. In addition, a key
coverage was limited to only about 15 percent of a element of the Space Research and Technology program
spacecraft orbit. This event brought to reality the long- isdeveloping and sustaining a strong partnership with the
awaited transition from aground-based tracking network university community through the University Space Re-
to a space-based tracking capability for low-Earth-orbit search program. This is an integral part of the strategy to
missions. The operational Space Network allowed NASA strengthen the space research and technology capabilities
to close or transfer to other agencies the four ground of the Nation. In 1989 and 1990, significant progress was
stations. In January 1990, the Second TDRSS Ground accomplished in many key disciplines such as propul-
Terminal was dedicated in New Mexico. The new facility sion, power, information and controls, materials and
provides backup to the first ground terminal and adds the structures, aerothermodynamics, and space flight ex-
capability to operate future TDRSS satellites when de- periments. This progress will contribute to achieving our
mand increases. future objectives in space science, space transportation,
The Ground Networks of NASA included the space station, and exploration.
Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network, the Deep Space
Network, the Aeronautics, Balloon, and Sounding Rocket Aeronautics Research and Technology
programs. All were effectively utilized in 1989 and 1990.
They provided tracking and data acquisition support NASA's aeronautics program implementation, in
services to all NASA missions for vehicles in high-Earth close coordination with industry, the Federal Aviation
orbit, in deep space, and for sub-orbital flights. In August Administration, the Department of Defense, and other
1989, for example, the Deep Space Network performed a Government agencies, continued to be accomplished
nearly flawless operation during the Voyager 2encounter during 1989 and 1990 through pursuit of six key thrusts.
with Neptune, which was the culmination of a 12-year The first thrust, subsonic transport, is focused on devel-
mission. The Deep Space Network was augmented by oping technology that will increase the productivity,
non-NASA facilities in Australia, Japan, and New Mexico affordability, and competitiveness of U.S. commercial
for this encounter. In 1990, the Ground Networks also transport aircraft. The second thrust, high-speed trans-
provided launch and landing support for shuttle missions portation, is based on resolving critical environmental
and tracking and data acquisition support for Magellan, issues and establishing the technology for economical,
Galileo, and Ulysses. Foreign missions were also supported high-speed air transportation. The research program's
to collect data from Earth and the moon. goals focus on resolving problems with atmospheric
effects, airport community noise, and sonic booms. The
Space Research and Technology third of these, the high-performance aircraft research
program, is structured to develop technologies having
The primary goal of the Space Research and Tech- important military applications. The fourth, the hypersonics
nology program isto develop technologies that enhance and transatmospheric research program, is an integrated
multi-disciplinaeryffortaimedatbuildingfundamental
major experiments and tests.
technicaulnderstandinogfthecontrollingphysicaplhe-
In the aeronautics area, flight tests of the B-2
nomenaofairbreathinhgypersonivcehiclesR.esearch
Advanced Technology Bomber began inJuly 1989 and it
hasbeenfocusedondevelopmenotftechnologierse- flew 16 test missions for a total of over 67 hours with no
quiredforhypersoniccruiseintheatmospheresi,ngle-
major problems. Additional acquisition efforts for the C-
stage-to-orbuistingairbreathinpgrimarypropulsiona,nd
17 transport, the advanced tactical fighter, the small
horizontatalkeofafndlandingT.hefifth,thefundamental
intercontinental ballistic missile, and several other programs
technologbyasethrusth, asbeenpursuingrevolutionary
continued during the two-year period.
advanceisnthebasicsciencensecessafroyrthedesign
Of critical importance, the National Aero-Space
andoperationofnext-generatioaneronauticsaylstems.
Plane program proceeded and, after review by the
Andfinally,NASAhasembarkeodnasixthkeythrusta,
National Space Council, was reaffirmed by the President
five-yearrevitalizatiopnrogramfor theunique,high-
inJuly 1989. The X-29 Advanced Technology Demonstrator
valueexperimentwalindtunnelss,omenowmorethan30
testing also continued successfully, as did flight testing of
yearsold.
the F-15 Short-Takeoff and-Landing/Maneuver Technol-
ogy Demonstrator.
Department of Defense
Department of Commerce
Calendar year 1989 and fiscal year 1990 could best
be characterized as a period of sustained emphasis for the The Department of Commerce (DOC) has four
Department of Defense (DOD) in the space area. Notable components involved in space activities. As the Earth
space achievements for the agency included the Defense systems agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) sponsored, Administration (NOAA), through its National Environ-
commercially developed programs culminating in the first mental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, is the
Pegasus launch on April 5, 1990 and the first Titan IV largest space arm of DOC. NOA.A is responsible for both
successful launch in June 1990. the operational polar orbiting and geostationary satellites
DOD space launches for the two-year period re- and will have several instruments on NASA's Earth
volved around orbiting a number of communications and Observing System. As operational satellite-derived products
navigation satellites, including the Fleet Satellite Commu- are refined and developed, they are used by the country's
nication System (FLTSATCOM) FLTSAT 8,and the Defense weather and climate services_Govemment, academic,
Satellite Communication System (DSCS) II and III. In and private. Satellite data were used in operational
addition, DARPA launched its first-generation LightSat forecasting and in studies of severe weather and tropical
communication satellite aboard a Scout booster in May storms. Expansion continued inthe distribution of satellite
1990. The first five operational Global Positioning System information--from the Advanced Very High Resolution
(GPS) Block IIR satellites were launched during the same Radiometer, from the Visible and Infrared Spin-Scan
year and by December approximately 4,000 DOD GPS Radiometer Atmospheric Sounder, and by using GOES-
receivers were in use or on order to provide real-time Tap (a program enabling users to acquire high-quality
flight-following capability for DOD aircraft and ships. Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite imagery
Furthermore, during 1989 the Under Secretary of over telephone data circuits). Studies continued on ozone,
Defense for Acquisition elected to proceed with an inter- cloud occurrence, and snow cover--factors critical to our
Service program to develop a ground-based kinetic study of climate change. Anew operational program was
energy anti-satellite capability. The Army was named as CoastWatch--NOAA's coastal land and water program
the lead Service in this effort. One of the critical DOD which obtains environmental information on coastal
space-oriented activities of 1989 and FY 1990 was the physical oceanography and meteorology and provides
development of new technologies for assured defense environmental alerts to coastal communities. NOAA ini-
from nuclear attack. The Strategic Defense Initiative tiated projects to acquire, archive, and disseminate data
program proceeded with a record number of successful packages needed in monitoring the global climate and its