NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.
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Citation Erwin “Erv” Zaretsky’s research in increasing life and reliability of mechanical components has significantly advanced the state of the art of bearings and gears for an array of aircraft, helicopter, and shuttle propulsion systems. Zaretsky performed pioneering research in rolling-element fatigue, lubrication, and probabilistic life prediction. His 50-plus years of work at the Center contributed significantly to NASA missions and enabled the Center to develop a strong technical competency in tribology and advanced mechanical systems. Zaretsky reached the Government’s highest engineering rank and served as a Distinguished Research Associate. He authored two boo…
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Citation Abe Silverstein began his career at the center in 1943, pioneering early jet technology. Dr. Silverstein was responsible for the conception, design, and construction of the nation’s earliest supersonic wind tunnels. His early support for the use of liquid hydrogen was key in the success of the Apollo Program. His advocacy for the center to lead the Centaur program put the center at the forefront of space travel and set the course for the exploration of the solar system. His influence on the agency can still be felt as one of the architects of NASA and early human space programs. When NASA was formed in 1958, he was appointed NASA Chief of Space Flight Programs…
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Citation Glenn Research Center established itself as a hub of heat transfer expertise early in its history. Rooted in basic research, as opposed to applied, this group developed new theories that would transform the body of knowledge up to that point. Robert Deissler, Simon Ostrach, adn Robert Siegel are three of the most influential heat transfer researchers in center history. Their theoretical skills made them world-renown in their own right, and it was the application of their theories that would help the center expand and excel in emerging fields such as jet engines, nuclear propulsion, and space exploration. Both Deissler and Siegel wrote seminal text books on the…
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Citation Edward Raymond Sharp, known as “Ray,” was the center’s director for its first 20 years. Sharp expedited the wartime construction of the laboratory; empowered the research staff with the freedom and tools to succeed; and inspired fierce commitment and loyalty among the staff. Employees, management, local officials, and visitors were all drawn to Sharp’s enormous personality. Although lacking any formal scientific of engineering training, Sharp’s determination to provide for his staff, attentiveness to the work being done, and sincere affection for the staff made him the rock upon which the center was built. Biography Edward Raymond Sharp, known as Ray, …
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Citation Bobby W. Sanders was a widely recognized national technical authority in high-speed inlet technology. He conducted research on all aspects of military and commercial aircraft engine inlets, including conceptual definition, complete design, and testing for military and commercial applications. He conceived, managed, and guided the technical implementation of the center’s inlet research for subsonic through hypersonic propulsion systems. His 50-year legacy includes over sixty publications, eight patents, and the mentoring of two generations of center engineers. Biography Bobby W. Sanders was a nationally-recognized leader in the advancement of engine i…
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Lonnie Reid
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Citation Dr. Lonnie Reid is nationally recognized for his knowledge of internal flow in advanced aerospace propulsion systems. His long history of integrating the theoretical and experimental elements of fluid dynamics resulted in an expanded database of compressor and fan design. He was the first African American at the center to be appointed to the Senior Executive Service (in 1990) and became chief of the Internal Fluid Mechanics Division. Dr. Reid retired in 1994 with 32 years of NASA service and a legacy of mentoring the next generation of scientists and engineers. Biography Lonnie Reid is nationally recognized in turbomachinery for his knowledge of interna…
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Bruce Lundin
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Citation Bruce Lundin started in 1943 as a mechanical engineer working on the problem’s of piston engines, but quickly moved to the emerging field of jet engines. A constant advocate for the expansion and evolution of work done at the center and also within the agency, he was one of the most vocal in advocating for the NACA’s leadership in space-related activities. His 1957 paper “Some Remarks on a future policy and course of action for the NACA would go on to become the basic template for which NASA’s structure would be based, with the NACA serving as its core. From 1969 to 1977, he served as the center director, navigating the center through one of its most difficult…
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Citation Dr. Heinrich “Henry” Kosmahl was an internationally recognized pioneer in the advancement of traveling wave tube technology for satellite communications systems. His invention and development of the multistage depressed collector revolutionized microwave tube amplifiers by nearly doubling efficiency and enabling access to previously impenetrable regions of the electromagnetic spectrum and the satellite communications infrastructure. The improved devices became a standard component of nearly all NASA and industry communications satellites. Under Kosmahl, the center became a leader in space communications. Biography Dr. Heinrich “Henry” Kosmahl revolutio…
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Citation Dr. Harold Kaufman began his career at the center in 1951 and developed and tested the first electron-bombardment ion thruster in 1959. The Space Electric Rocket Tests (SERT I and II) used Kaufman’s ion engine in the first successful demonstration of electric propulsion in space and confirmed the technology for long-duration spaceflights. Dr. Kaufman’s research revolutionized the exploration of deep space, becoming the basis for ion propulsion systems that are in use today and planned for future NASA deep space missions. Dr. Kaufman retired from NASA in 1974 and became a professor at Colorado State University. Biography Center researcher Harold Kauf…
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Citation Olga González-Sanabria contributed to the development of nickel-hydrogen battery technologies, most notably in the area of battery separators, and the study of energy storage options for radioisotope thermoelectric generators. González-Sanabria also served as a liaison to NASA Headquarters for the center’s in-space technologies activities. In 1995 she became the center’s first Latina to enter the senior executive service. González-Sanabria held several executive positions at the center, culminating in Director of Engineering. In each of these positions, González-Sanabria implemented novel approaches to her wide range of institutional and managerial responsi…
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Annie Easley
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Citation Annie Easley began her career in 1955 as a human “computer.” When machines replaced people, she evolved along with them, becoming a computer programmer. She developed and tested code and analyzed data for a variety of research areas, including alternative energy, battery storage, and the Centaur launch vehicle. In addition to her professional achievements, as one of the first African-American employees, Annie Easley was a pioneer for females and minorities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers. She was a champion for equality for all throughout her career. Biography Annie Easley had never heard of the National Advisory Committee…
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Julian Earls
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Citation Over his 40-year career, Dr. Julian M. Earls helped to shape the center in a number of areas. He began his career in 1965 as a physicist and quickly established himself as a leader in health physics and radiology, authoring NASA’s first-ever health-physics guides. Dr. Earls was a champion of equal opportunity and the first African American to hold many leadership positions at the center. He rose to the ranks of center director in 2003, where his energy and leadership elevated the center’s presence in the agency and region. Dr. Earls retired in 2005. Biography Julian Earls began his career at the center as a physicist, and he rose through the ranks to be…
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Citation THE GIANTS OF HEAT TRANSFER: DR. ROBERT DEISSLER, DR. SIMON OSTRACH, AND DR. ROBERT SIEGEL The NASA Glenn Research Center established itself as a hub of heat transfer expertise early in its history, when it was a National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) laboratory. Rooted in basic, instead of applied, research, a group of the lab’s heat transfer researchers developed new theories that would transform the body of knowledge. As Virginia Dawson explains in her history of the Center, Engines and Innovations, “A new theory was like a new piece of hardware, something on the shelf, ready if it was needed in the future.” Management was more comfortable with a…
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Citation THE GIANTS OF HEAT TRANSFER: DR. ROBERT DEISSLER, DR. SIMON OSTRACH, AND DR. ROBERT SIEGEL The NASA Glenn Research Center established itself as a hub of heat transfer expertise early in its history, when it was a National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) laboratory. Rooted in basic, instead of applied, research, a group of the lab’s heat transfer researchers developed new theories that would transform the body of knowledge. As Virginia Dawson explains in her history of the Center, Engines and Innovations, “A new theory was like a new piece of hardware, something on the shelf, ready if it was needed in the future.” Management was more comfortable with…
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Citation Dr. R. Lynn Bondurant began his career at the NASA Lewis Research Center in 1981 to direct the newly established Office of Educational Programs. His creative leadership and passion for science education laid the foundation for our continuing excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outreach and inspired a whole generation of youth to pursue careers in science. He was a tireless educator who wrote numerous articles and books on STEM education topics, presented over 70 NASA television programs, and brought a clear vision of a successful STEM outreach program to the Center. Biography Bondurant earned a Bachelor of Arts degree i…
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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched on March 3, 2024, from NASA’s from Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying the agency’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission into orbit for a mission to the International Space Station.NASA An international crew of four reached orbit following a successful launch to the International Space Station at 10:53 p.m. EST Sunday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission is the agency’s eighth commercial crew rotation mission with the company to the space station. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanet…
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Rae Anderson, subject matter expert for software assurance in the NASA Stennis Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, is the first employee at NASA’s Stennis Space Center – and one of five civil servants across NASA – to earn the highest distinction in the Safety and Mission Assurance Technical Excellence Program in the discipline of software assurance. The level four certification demonstrates Anderson’s dedication to growing her knowledge and skills to become an effective contributor to the agency’s mission.NASA/Danny Nowlin Rae Anderson never set out to have a career with NASA, but the pursuit of opportunities around her interest in computer science led the Union …
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NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 Launch (Official NASA Broadcast)
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An Historic Delivery to the Moon’s South Pole on This Week @NASA – March 1, 2024
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6 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Illustration showing multiple future air transportation options NASA researchers are studying or working to enable.NASA This ARMD solicitations page compiles the opportunities to collaborate with NASA’s aeronautical innovators and/or contribute to their research to enable new and improved air transportation systems. A summary of available opportunities with key dates requiring action are listed first. More information about each opportunity is detailed lower on this page. University Student Research Challenge Key date: March 21, 2024, at 5 p.m. ET (This is a change from Feb. 22.) AA…
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NASA Science Live: Our First Commercial Science Delivery to the Moon
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For the first time in more than 50 years, NASA was able to collect data from new science instruments and technology demonstrations on the Moon. The data comes from the first successful landing of a delivery through NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign. The six instruments ceased science and technology operations eight days after landing in the lunar South Pole region aboard Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus, meeting pre-launch projected mission operations. Known as IM-1, this was the first U.S. soft landing on the Moon in decades, touching down on Feb. 22, proving commercial vendors can deliver instruments designed to expand the s…
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“A bird cannot fly with one wing only. Human space flight cannot develop any further without the active participation of women.” – Valentina Tereshkova “If we want scientists and engineers in the future, we should be cultivating the girls as much as the boys.” – Sally Ride “International cooperation is very necessary. Chinese have a saying, ‘When all the people collect the wood, you will make a great fire.’” – Liu Yang As of Feb. 29, 2024, 75 women have flown in space. Of these, 47 have worked on the International Space Station as long-duration expedition crewmembers, as visitors on space shuttle assembly flights, as space flight participants, or as commercial…
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Some 74,000 years ago, the Toba volcano in Indonesia exploded with a force 1,000 times more powerful than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. The mystery is what happened after that – namely, to what degree that extreme explosion might have cooled global temperatures. Crew aboard the International Space Station photographed the eruption of Mount Etna in Sicily in October 2002. Ashfall was reported more than 350 miles away. When it comes to explosive power, however, no eruption in modern times can compare with a super eruption – which hasn’t occurred for tens of thousands of years. NASA When it comes to the most powerful volcanoes, researchers have long speculated …
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The ISRU Pilot Excavator is tested in a blacked out facility with minimal lighting that mimics the harsh, feature-less terrain of the Moon.NASA The ISRU Pilot Excavator is tested in a blacked out facility with minimal lighting that mimics the harsh, feature-less terrain of the Moon.NASA Harsh, low-angle sunlight, long and dark shadows, and a featureless terrain will make navigation difficult when NASA’s ISRU Pilot Excavator (IPEx) is sent to the Moon. Because of this, the IPEx team has begun testing various approaches to autonomously …
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