Invention of the Year. It's strong. It's lightweight. It's tough. It's NASA's Commercial Invention of the Year. Called PETI-5, this patented resin material can be used in aerospace composites or used as an adhesive. Originally developed for high-speed, high-temperature aircraft applications, its exceptional combination of properties has attracted the attention of the high-performance materials industry. As a result, sales of PETI-5 industrial products are approaching $10 million. In the future, PETI-5 may be used in consumer products like high-performance automobile engines. Interviews are available. Public Affairs Contact: Keith Henry, (757) 864-6120
NASA Langley's Hidden Treasures. NASA keeps items and records that pertain to the history of the center long before there was a NASA. Dating back to the 1600s, such historical artifacts also tell about the families that lived on the land before the government bought it. Most of the boxes that are left contain the items have been marked "rubble." These "treasures" are kept in here on center in building 1213, room 140. Interviews and photo opportunities are available. Public Affairs Contact: Jeff Caplan, (757) 864-1589
X-33 Systems Tested at Langley. The thermal protection system (TPS) is a key technology that the X-33 spacecraft will demonstrate. When VentureStar is built, it's the TPS that will safeguard it from reentry temperatures as high as 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike most TPS, where the insulation material is mounted on the outside of the vehicle, X-33's TPS is the vehicle's aerodynamic structural shell. Testing in Langley's High-Temperature Tunnel verified the integrity of the aeroshell TPS when subjected to 2,000-degree winds, flowing onto the structure at seven times the speed of sound. Langley continues to perform wind tunnel tests on X-33 models. Interviews, photos, background video are available. Public Affairs Contact: Bob Allen, (757) 864-6176

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