For Release: Immediately

NASA Langley Story Opportunities- November

STUDYING THE EFFECTS OF MICROGRAVITY ON SOLAR ARRAYS. The Photogrammetric Appendage Structural Dynamics Experiment (PASDE) will be flown aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-74) in November. PASDE is designed to use photography to determine how much solar arrays move aboard the Russian space station Mir. Movements in the solar arrays will be videotaped during the docking of Atlantis with Mir, the transition from sunlight to darkness, and during a variety of on-orbit maneuvers. This on-orbit data is important to engineers building the International Space Station. Interviews, photos, b-roll video and graphics available. For more information on the PASDE project, please visit their Internet site at PASDE homepage.
CONTACT: Catherine E. Watson (757) 864-6122

CLOUD REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENT DELIVERED. TRW Inc. delivered the first of six Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments to Goddard Space Flight Center in late October for integration aboard the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) spacecraft. The Langley-managed CERES instrument is the follow-on to the ERBE instrument, which has been returning unprecedented data about the Earth radiation's budget since October 1984. CERES/TRMM is scheduled for launch in August 1997. Interviews and photos are available.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT: Catherine E. Watson (757) 864-6122

PAVERS: THE LANDING STRIPS OF THE FUTURE. Langley's Aircraft Landing Dynamics Facility (ADLF) is evaluating new surfaces for aircraft landing strips. These findings may eventually contribute to improving aircraft safety during ground operations under adverse weather conditions. Four concrete paver block designs have been introduced to study aircraft tire friction performance; other designs will also be incorporated into the testing process.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT: Keith Henry (757) 864-6120

SMALL BUSINESSES TO STIMULATE GENERAL AVIATION. NASA has announced the selection of 16 small businesses for negotiation of general aviation-related contracts in the Agency’s 1995 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. Nine companies were selected for contracts worth up to $70,000 to perform six-month Phase I feasibility studies. Seven more companies, having successfully completed Phase I studies, were selected for contracts up to $600,000 for two-year research projects. Projects range from simplified cockpit controls and displays to detection of storm hazards to breakthroughs in structures and materials. Call for company listing.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT: Keith Henry (757) 864-6120

HAMPTON, THE EAGLE HAS LANDED: On Nov. 14, retired NASA research pilot Lee Person Jr. will discuss the space simulators developed at NASA Langley in the 1960s to prepare astronauts for maneuvering in space and on the moon. These simulators include the Langley Lunar Landing Research Facility, used to simulate the lunar lander's last 150-foot descent to the surface of the moon. “Earthbound ‘Flying’ Simulators for Weightless Rendezvous and Lunar Landings” will be presented Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 2 p.m. in the H.J.E. Reid Conference Center, 14 Langley Blvd., Hampton Va. Interviews and photos are available.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT: Keith Henry (757) 864-6120

ADVANCED RADIAL TIRES TESTED. Tests at NASA Langley are expected to speed the process of government certification of advanced radial tires for jumbo jets. Boeing is considering radial tires for its new wide-bodied 777. Radial tires, a staple on automobiles for years, have proven to be lightweight, produce less drag and generate less heat than conventional bias tires in five years of use on smaller aircraft in this country. The tests were conducted with Michelin Aircraft Tire Corp., Charlotte, N.C. The partnership is supported by a Space Act Agreement.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT: Keith Henry (757) 864-6120

NEW TITLE AND FOCUS FOR SPACEMOBILE. Aerospace Education Services Program (AESP) previously identified as the Spacemobile program, provides a premier NASA outreach program to teachers and students. The primary focus of the new AESP will be an increase in teacher enhancement at the precollege level. Making educators familiar with NASA activities will aid in the production of future scientists and engineers.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT: Keith Henry (757) 864-6120
AESP CONTACT: Gerri Polhamus (757) 864-3302

PULITZER PRIZE NOMINEE OUT OF THIS WORLD. Spaceflight Revolution, the most recent book by Dr. James R. Hansen, has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Hansen, an expert on NASA Langley history, explores the Langley contribution to the race into space from "Sputnik to Apollo." To obtain a copy contact the Government Printing Office Order Desk. Selling price is $30.
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ORDER DESK: (202) 512-1800
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT: Keith Henry (757) 864-6120

text-only version of this release