For Release: Immediately
Release No. 96-069
NASA Langley Story Opportunities - July
"Highways In The
Sky" Ready for the 1996 Summer Olympics. Specially
equipped helicopters will be used in Atlanta to transport
high-value commercial goods and provide essential public safety
services during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. NASA, the FAA and
industry partners have provided the technology for a revolutionary
new system to be used during the Olympics to move air traffic
efficiently and safely in uncontrolled airspace over predetermined
"highways in the sky." The program, known as Operation Heli-Star,
uses flight systems developed by the (AGATE)
(Advanced General Aviation Transport Experiments) consortium to
provide pilots with accurate, easy-to-interpret, real-time graphics
showing the relative positions of other aircraft, weather and
color-coded Olympic venues. Interviews, photos and video are
available.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT: Keith Henry (757) 864-6124
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION: Kathleen Bergen (404)
305-5100
NASA Langley's Contributions to the X-33 Program. NASA
Langley is helping develop America's next generation space vehicle.
NASA Langley assisted the three aerospace companies that bid to
build the X-33
prototype with research on cryogenic propellant tanks, composite
structures, metallic and composite thermal protection systems, and
vehicle systems analysis, as well as aerodynamic testing and
analysis and flight control technology development. Interviews,
photos and video are available.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT: Ann Gaudreaux (757) 864-8150
Studying Air Pollution Off the U.S. East Coast. From July
10-31, atmospheric scientists will use aircraft to study air
pollution coming off the east coast of the United States. The
scientists will measure small particles in the atmosphere, called
aerosols, that are produced by the burning of fossil fuels such as
gasoline. The research flights will originate from the NASA Wallops
Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va. Interviews and photo
opportunities are available.
NASA LANGLEY PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT: Catherine E. Watson (757)
864-6122
NASA WALLOPS PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT: Keith Koehler (804)
824-1579
20th Anniversary of Viking Landing on Mars. On July 20,
1976, the first
Viking lander touched down onto the surface of Mars. The
flight to Mars, and subsequent perfect entry and landing sequence,
were the culmination of nearly a decade of work by NASA employees
and contractors. NASA Langley managed Project Viking from
1968-1978. Interviews, photos and video are available.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT: Catherine E. Watson (757) 864-6122
Exploring the Red Planet. A Mars Symposium entitled "Mars
Revisited: A Forward Look," will be held at the National Academy of
Sciences in Washington, DC, July 18-19. The symposium is hosted by
NASA, the Planetary Society and the Lockheed Martin Corp. Dr. Mike
Carr, former Viking Orbiter Imaging Team Leader, will summarize the
present knowledge of Mars and discuss future exploration missions,
including the upcoming Pathfinder and Discovery missions.
MARS SYMPOSIUM CONTACT: Judy Cole (757) 865-7604/8721 (fax);
cole@stcnet.co
NASA PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT: Catherine E. Watson (757)
864-6122
Testing High Temperature Superconductors in Space. Since
the discovery of high temperature superconductor (HTS) materials in
1986, there has been no data to support their use in space. In
spacecraft, HTS could reduce power and thermal requirements,
reducing the size of the spacecraft. The Materials In Devices As
Superconductors
(MIDAS) experiment will evaluate the electrical
properties of multiple HTS specimens while aboard the Russian space
station Mir. MIDAS will be taken to Mir aboard the Space Shuttle
Atlantis (STS-79) in August. For approximately 90 days, MIDAS will
test HTS samples from NASA Langley, the Moscow Institute of
Electronic Equipment (MIEE), and the Eaton Corp. for comparison to
data obtained during a ground-based experiment. Interviews and
photos are available.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT: Catherine E. Watson (757) 864-6122
Understanding the Effects of Crew Motions in Space. The
Enhanced Dynamic Load Sensors
EDLS-Mir experiment is measuring how the movements of
crew members aboard the Russian space station Mir
affect the microgravity environment of the station. Everyday
activities, such as opening and closing a locker door or moving
from one work station to another, cause vibrations on the space
station that can affect some of the more sensitive microgravity
experiments. Interviews, illustration and video are available.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT: Catherine E. Watson (757) 864-6122
"Power for the Future" At Oshkosh. NASA will participate
in the annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Fly-In
Convention and Sport Aviation Exhibition Aug. 1-7 at Oshkosh,
Wisc. The theme for the NASA exhibits is “Power for the
Future,” highlighting how NASA aeronautics is paving the way
for aircraft and aviation systems of tomorrow. Two new
government-industry initiatives - the General Aviation Propulsion
(GAP) program and Operation Heli-Star (taking place at the 1996
Summer Olympics in Atlanta) - will be discussed at a news
conference on Aug. 3. Interviews available.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT: Keith Henry (757) 864-6124
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