Search Ames

Go

Audio Gallery

Text Size

Arc Jet and Return to Flight
06.22.05
 
Links to broadcast quality audio files and transcripts, May 4, 2005 interviews with Ernest Fretter and John Balboni, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., about the Ames 'Arc Jet' facilities and their use in returning the Space Shuttle to flight.

For use on: Description Size
Radio 16 bit 44.1 kilohertz stereo WAV 3.7 MB
Radio 320 kbps MP3 864 KB
on-line Mono-56kps MP3 152 KB

To Download Files:
From a Macintosh Operating System, click and hold the dominant mouse button to "download link to disk" on your hardrive.

From a Microsoft Windows Operating System, right click on the file and "save the target as" on your hardrive

To find information on a specific player to listen to the audio recording, please refer to our Site Tools Page.

Note: Only WAV files play directly from this server. The others must be downloaded to be played on your machine.

Full Transcript (below)


11. Q: When a spacecraft is entering Mars' thin atmosphere, which is at that planet's surface is about equivalent to Earth's atmosphere at 100,000 feet, how is the heat of entry on the spacecraft's surface different than the heat of re-entry into Earth's air?

Balboni: The fact that density of the atmosphere of Mars is much less than Earth, ah, as you say, the density of the atmosphere at the surface of Mars is equivalent to 100,000 feet on Earth. So, that does tend to lessen the heat to a spacecraft entering the atmosphere slightly, not a whole lot – not significantly. (22 SECONDS)