Social, Cultural and Educational Legacies - ER - NASA

More documents

Recommendations

Info

companies were inspired by earlierwork in American space projects,a few had ideas for the use of spaceentirely founded in the uniquecharacteristics of orbital spaceflight.These included launchingcommercial-use satellites, such astwo communications satellites—Anik C-2 and Palapa Bl—launchedfrom Space Transportation System(STS)-7 (1983). The shuttle phased outlaunching commercial satellites afterthe Challenger accident in 1986.Wyle Laboratories, Inc. works with scientists for the payloads on Neurolab (STS-90 [1998]).The experiment shown is the kinematic, eye tracking, vertical ground reaction force study inMarch 2002. In the foreground are test operators Chris Miller (left) and Ann Marshburn. The testsubject in the harness is Jason Richards and the spotter is Jeremy House.NASA introduced a host of newprivatization contracts in the 1990sto further increase efficiency inoperations and decrease costs.Over the years, companies providedthe day-to-day engineering for theshuttle and its science payloads.For instance, Hamilton Sundstrandand ILC Dover were instrumentalcompanies for spacesuit design andmaintenance. Lockheed Martin andJacobs Engineering provided much ofthe engineering needed to routinely flythe shuttle. Both Lockheed Martin andWyle Laboratories, Inc. are examplesof companies that assured the sciencepayloads operations were successful.Commercial UsersUS industry, aerospace, and othersfound ways to participate in the SpaceShuttle project. Hundreds of largeand small companies provided NASAwith hardware, software, services,and supplies. Industry also providedtechnical, management, and financialassistance to academia pursuinggovernment-granted science andtechnology research in Earth orbit.Yet, a basic drive of industry is todevelop new, profitable business.Beginning in the late 1970s, NASAencouraged American businessesto develop profitable uses of space.This meant conceiving of privatelyfunded, perhaps unique, productsfor both government and commercialcustomers—termed “dual use”—as well as for purely commercialconsumers. While several aerospaceNon-aerospace firms, such aspharmaceutical manufacturers, alsobecame interested in developingprofitable uses for space. Comparedto those of previous spacecraft, thecapabilities of the shuttle providednew opportunities for innovationand entrepreneurship. Private capitalwas invested because of theseprospects: regular transport to orbit;lengthy periods of flight; and, ifneeded, frequent human-tendedresearch and development. Evenbefore the first flight of the shuttle,US private sector businesses wereinquiring about the vehicle’savailability for industrial research,manufacturing, and more, in space.During the 30-year Space ShuttleProgram, companies interested inmicrogravity sciences providedcommercial payloads, such as a latexreactor experiment performed onSTS-3 (1982). These industry-fundedpayloads continued into theInternational Space Station Program.Although the shuttle did not proveto be the best vehicle to enhancecommercial research efforts, it wasthe stepping-stone for commercial useof spacecraft.488Industries and Spin-offs
Small BusinessesProvided Critical Servicesfor the Space ShuttleAs of 2010, government statisticsindicated that almost 85% of Americanswere employed by businesses with250 employees or fewer. Such “smallbusinesses” are the backbone of theUnited States. They also play animportant role in America’s spaceprogram, and were instrumental duringthe shuttle era. For example, themanufacture and refurbishment ofSolid Rocket Motors required thededication and commitment of manycommercial suppliers. Small businessprovided nearly a fourth of the totaldollar value of those contracts. Twoexamples include: Kyzen Corporation,Nashville, Tennessee; and PTTechnologies, Tucker, Georgia.Kyzen Corporation enabled NASA’sgoal to eliminate ozone-depletingchemicals by providing a cleaningsolvent. This solvent, designed forprecision cleaning for the electronicsindustry, was ideal for dissolvingsolid rocket propellant from themanufacturing cleaning tooling.The company instituted the rigidcontrols necessary to ensure productintegrity and eliminate contamination.PT Technologies manufacturedprecision-cleaning solvent withnon-ozone-depleting chemicals. Thissolvent was designed for use in thetelephone and electrical supply industryto clean cables. It also proved toperform well in the production ofSolid Rocket Motors.Small business enterprises areadaptive, creative, and supportive,and their partnerships with NASAhave helped our nation achieve itssuccess in space.© Kyzen Corporation. All rights reserved.Spin-offsNASA Helps Strengthen the“Bridge for Heart Transplants”Innovation can occur for many reasons.It can arise from the most unlikelyplaces at the most unlikely times, suchas at the margins of disciplines, andit can occur because the right personwas at the right place at the right time.The story of David Saucier illustratesall of these points.Dave Saucier sought medical care forhis failing heart and received a hearttransplant in 1984 from Drs. DeBakeyand Noon at the DeBakey HeartCenter at Baylor College of Medicine,Houston, Texas. After his transplant,Dave felt compelled to use hisengineering expertise and theexpertise of other engineers at JohnsonSpace Center (JSC) to contributeto the development of a ventricularassist device (VAD)—a project ofDr. DeBakey, Dr. Noon, and colleagues.A VAD is a device that is implanted inthe body and helps propel blood fromthe heart throughout the body. Thedevice was intended to be a bridge totransplant. This successful collaborationalso brought in computational expertisefrom NASA Advanced SupercomputingDivision at Ames Research Center(Moffett Field, California).This far-reaching collaboration of someunlikely partners resulted in an efficient,lightweight VAD. VAD had successfulclinical testing and is implemented inEurope for children and adults. In theUnited States, VAD is used in childrenand is being tested for adults.A mixing tank used to produce the cleaning solvent for dissolving solid rocket propellant at KyzenCorporation. This solvent was free of ozone-depleting chemicals.Industries and Spin-offs489
Page 1 and 2: Social,Cultural, andEducationalLega
Page 3 and 4: Social Impact—NASAReflects Americ
Page 5 and 6: astronaut classes that NASA selecte
Page 8 and 9: to “Astronauts Young, [Robert]Cri
Page 10 and 11: the unique opportunity to experienc
Page 12: Education:InspiringStudents asOnly
Page 16 and 17: Project StarshineProject Starshine
Page 18 and 19: Toys in Space: InnovativeWays to Te
Page 20 and 21: Sciences Corporation,11 years later
Page 22 and 23: Using documentation on the special
Page 24 and 25: College EducationUndergraduateEngin
Page 26 and 27: 484
Page 28 and 29: Industriesand Spin-offsIndustriesAe
Page 32 and 33: The DeBakey VAD ® functions as a
Page 34 and 35: Preventing Land MineExplosions—Sa
Page 36 and 37: ased on the prototype designed andp
Page 38 and 39: 496
Page 40 and 41: The ShuttleContinuum,Role of HumanS
Page 42 and 43: Inspiring Students Through Human Sp
Page 44 and 45: What’s Next for Human Spaceflight
Page 46 and 47: Global Community Through Space Expl
Page 48 and 49: The Legacy of the “Space Shuttle
Page 50 and 51: The Canadian astronaut program has
Page 52 and 53: Inspiring GenerationsLeah Jamieson,
Page 54 and 55: The Legacy of the Space ShuttleMich
Page 56 and 57: only with the greatest possible att
Page 58: 516

Social, Cultural and Educational Legacies - ER - NASA

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?