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AMERICAS FUTURE IN SPACE

Exploration Plans

NASA is moving orward with a new ocus to go

beyond Earth orbit or purposes o human explora-tion and scientic discovery. NASA will use the

space shuttle to complete the International Space

Station, beore retiring the shuttle and delivering

a new generation o spacecrat to venture out into

the solar system.

Te space station, which is scheduled to be

completed by 2010, is a laboratory where we are

learning how to live and work in space. Building

hardware that can survive and unction in a harsh

environment is a crucial step in preparation or

long-duration support o lie beyond the Earths

protective atmosphere.

For more than two decades, the

Space Shuttle Program has lited

people, equipment, and hardware

to the station and into

low-Earth orbit.

NASA is now developing an exploration vehicle

system, called Constellation, to expand our capa-

bilities. Tis new system, powered by the Ares Icrew launch vehicle and Ares V heavy cargo launch

vehicle, will increase the number o crew members

and the amount o cargo that can be transported

into space. NASAs plans include using the new

system to service the space station by 2015.

As humans go beyond Earth and learn how to live

on other planets, we must develop methods or

using the resources ound there. Te moon is a

crucial stepping stone along that path a harsh

and distant world, yet one that is only a three-day

journey rom Earth. NASA is already preparing

robotic missions to go to the moon. Te Ares

rockets will take humans there by 2020 to begin

construction o a permanent lunar outpost.

Completing the space station and constructing a

lunar outpost as preparation or urther exploration

are critical milestones in Americas quest to become

a truly spacearing nation. And Marshall Space

Flight Center has a vital role in that uture.

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ABOUT MARSHALL

From the development o mighty rocket

engines to extraordinary scientic discoveries

about our universe, Marshall Space FlightCenter in Huntsville, Alabama, is launching the

uture o science and exploration.

While Huntsville has become known as the Rocket

City, propulsion is only one o Marshalls many

cutting-edge exploration and research projects. Te

center uses its talented team, extensive experience,

and state-o-the-art acilities to support NASAs

human and robotic exploration initiatives as well as

missions o scientic discovery in our solar system

and beyond.

Te results? In addition to the most powerul rockets

ever designed, our nation benets rom enhanced

understanding o our universe, groundbreaking scien-

tic discoveries, improvements to lie on Earth, and

an increased ability to live and work in space.

Marshall is one o NASAs ten eld centers

working under the direction and guidance o

NASA Headquarters in Washington. Marshall

supports the agency through its expertise in propul-

sion, engineering, science, space operations, and

project and program management.

Te center provides the engineering expertise

behind propulsion and transportation systems such

as the space shuttle and the new Ares rockets.

Supporting around-the-clock operations on the

International Space Station through the Payload

Operations Center, Marshall develops, integrates,

and operates major logistics, lie support, and scien-

tic experiment components and systems.

Te center conducts undamental and applied

scientic research and enables scientic discovery

by developing hardware and instruments

that lead to discoveries in space science

and Earth science. Marshall

also provides technical

and project management

expertise in support o the

agencys science and mission

systems programs.

about


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Doing Business With Marshall

Engineering businesses and proessionals have

several options or working with Marshall Space

Flight Center:

ProvidegoodsandservicestoMarshall

(procurement and acquisition)

UseMarshallresourcesinsupportofyour

objectives (Space Act Agreements )

UseNASAtechnologiestoimprovequalityoflifeonEarth (echnology ranser)

Visiting Marshall

Marshall is located on the U.S. Armys Redstone

Arsenal with restricted access. Decals and badges

can be obtained or visitors with prior approval at

the Redstone Arsenal Visitors Center at Gate 9 on

Research Park Boulevard/Rideout Road South.

Te Visitor Inormation Center or Marshallis located at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

Interactive exhibits and unique historic artiacts

demonstrate Marshalls critical role in supporting

NASAs missions.

Learn More

About Marshall

www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/about

From Exploration to Opportunity

Marshall is an engine o opportunity or its com-

munity and the nation. Te center draws numerous

private-sector high-tech companies to the area, cre-

ating thousands o high-paying jobs and attracting

the talented people needed to ll them. Marshalls

economic impact reaches across North Alabama

and the nation.

FiscalYear2008:

$2.6billionactual budget

Morethan7,000employees (2,634 civil service)

$1billionimpact to Alabama economy

6thlargestemployer in the Huntsville/Madison

County area

4.5millionsquare eet o space occupied in

Huntsville

2.2millionsquare eet o manuacturing space

at the Marshall-managed Michoud AssemblyFacility in New Orleans

EducationalOutreach

Provides more than $20 million in procurements

and grants to Alabama educational and nonprot

organizations and more than $113 million across

the United States

Coordinates the Annual Great Moonbuggy Race

engaging high school students in engineering

competition Hosts the NASA Student Launch Initiative,

involving middle school, high school, and

university students in designing, building, and

testing reusable rockets

Location

Marshall is adjacent to Cummings Research Park,

the nations second-largest research park with more

than 285 high-tech enterprises, U.S. space and

deense agencies, and the University o Alabama

in Huntsville. Aerial view of Marshall Space Flight Center

about


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Space Shuttle

During nearly three decades o ight, the space

shuttle has supported the Mir space station and

the International Space Station; made maintenance

ights to the Hubble Space elescope; launched

planetary missions to study Jupiter, Venus, and the

sun; and enabled hundreds o scientic studies in

onboard laboratories supported by Marshall.

Engineers at Marshall

designed, developed,

and continue to

maintain the space

shuttle main engines,

the external uel tank,

and the solid rocket

boosters.

MainEngines

Te space shuttle main engines are the most

advanced liquid-ueled rocket engines ever built.

Tree main engines are mounted in the back o

the vehicle and are ignited just beore lito. Along

with the solid rocket boosters, the engines provide

the thrust to lit the shuttle o the ground or the

initial ascent. Tey operate or 8.5 minutes during

lito and ascent, burning the hal-million gallonso propellants stored in the external tank. Te main

engines create a combined maximum thrust o

more than 1.2 million pounds.

Ater the solid rocket boosters separate, the main

engines provide thrust that accelerates the shuttle

rom 3,000 mph to more than 17,000 mph in just

six minutes. Te engines shut down just beore the

shuttle reaches orbit. Ater the shuttle lands, the

engines are removed, rechecked, and reurbished ortheir next ight.

Upon completion o the

Space Shuttle Program,

NASA will have used the

shuttle to fy more than

130 missions into low-Earth

orbit transporting people,

supplies, and equipment

to the International Space

Station and to launchnumerous missions o

exploration into our solar

system and beyond.

Installation o space shuttle main engineson Space Shuttle Discovery

roc

kets


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ExternalTank

Te 153.8-oot-long external tank holds more than

530,000 gallons o liquid hydrogen (uel) and liq-

uid oxygen (oxidizer), which are used as propellants

or the shuttles three main engines. Te external

tank is the backbone o the shuttle during launch,

providing structural support or attachment with

the solid rocket boosters and shuttle vehicle, and

absorbing the 7.3 million pounds o thrust gener-ated during launch. Ater the uel is consumed at

approximately 8.5 minutes into the shuttle ight,

the external tank separates and alls in a preplanned

trajectory. Most o the tank disintegrates in the

atmosphere, and the remainder alls into the ocean.

Te external tank is the only element o the space

shuttle that is not reused.

ReusableSolidRocketBoosters

Te twin solid rocket boosters operate in parallelwith the main engines during the rst two minutes

o powered ight to provide the thrust needed or

the shuttle to escape the pull o Earths gravity. Te

solid rocket boosters have a combined thrust o

about 6.6 million pounds at launch to help propel

the space shuttle o the launch pad and up to an

altitude o about 24 nautical miles.

Ater their two minutes o ight, the boosters

separate, descend under parachutes, and land in

the Atlantic Ocean. Te used solid rocket boosters

are recovered, reurbished, reueled, and reused or

uture missions.

Americas New Rockets:

Ares I and Ares V

Te Ares I and Ares V rockets are key components

o the Constellation Program. Te Ares Projects are

managed at Marshall, but building the Ares I is a

national eort supported by more than 200 compa-

nies located across the nation rom Connecticut to

Caliornia.

Tese sae, reliable,

and cost-eective

space launch vehicles

will replace the space

shuttle eet and carry

a new generation o

explorers to the moon

and to other destina-

tions in our solar

system. By extendinghuman presence to

the moon and beyond, these explorers will enable us

to seek answers to undamental questions about the

universe and our place in it, create new economic

opportunities to improve lie on Earth, and develop

global partnerships that will promote cooperation.

Both the Ares I and Ares V

rockets use solid rocket

boosters that are derived

rom the space shuttle solid

rocket boosters.

This hardware commonality

makes operations more cost

eective by minimizing design

and manuacturing costs.

Marshall is the home o the Ares Projects, which are respon-

sible or designing and developing Ares vehicle hardware,

evolving proven technologies, and testing components,sotware, and systems.

Friction stir welder

External tank departing

Michoud Assembly Facility

rockets


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AresI

CrewLaunchVehicle

Te Ares I crew launch

vehicle will deliver the

Orion crew exploration

vehicle and cargo payloads

to Earth orbit. Te rst task

or Ares I will be to use its

25-ton payload capacity toreplace the space shuttle in

delivering resources, supplies,

and scientic instruments

to the space station.

Design o the Ares I rocket

is well underway, and

actual hardware compo-

nents have been built and

delivered to Kennedy SpaceCenter in preparation or

the rst test ight.

Te Ares I is a two-stage

rocket topped by the

Orion spacecrat, which

can be used to transport

astronauts or supplies to

the station or to rendez-

vous with the Ares V Earth

departure stage or travel to

the moon. Orions launch

abort system can move the

crew quickly away in case

o launch emergency.

Te diagram to the right

shows the segments o the

Ares I rocket or crewed

exploration.

AresV

CargoLaunchVehicle

Planning and design are

underway at Marshall or

the hardware, propulsion

systems, and associated

technologies needed or

NASAs Ares V cargo

launch vehicle, the heavyliter o Americas next-

generation space eet.

Its mission will be to

launch Altair the lunar

crat or transporting

astronauts and sup-

plies to and rom the

moon and the materi-

als required or establish-

ing a lunar outpost.

As illustrated in the

diagram to the let, the

versatile Ares V is a verti-

cally stacked, two-stage

rocket with two reusable

solid rocket boosters.

Te heavy lit capability

o Ares V will enable

other exploration, sci-

entic, and commercial

payloads, such as lunar

experiments, rovers, habi-

tats, and large telescopes.

Tis lit capability will

allow NASA to under-

take crewed missions to

destinations beyond the

moon in the uture.

rockets


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Te Lunar Exploration Vehicle Architecturediagram below describes how the Constellation

vehicles work together to deliver the crew to the

lunar surace and back to Earth.

When the Ares V launches, it will be powered by

six liquid-ueled RS-68B engines in its core stageand two 5.5-segment solid rocket boosters. Te

boosters and core stage will separate rom thelaunch vehicle when they have expended their uel.Ten the Earth Departure Stage (EDS), powered by

a J-2X engine, will carry the Altair into low-Earth

orbit. During this phase o ight, the loiter skirtattached to the bottom o the EDS, will provide

electrical power and space debris protection.

Ater launch, the Ares I rst stage reusable solid

rocket booster will separate, and the Orion crew

Lunar Exploration Vehicle Architecture

exploration vehicle will be propelled into low-Earthorbit by the upper stage J-2X main engine and the

service modules propulsion system.

While in low-Earth orbit, Orion will rendezvous

and dock with Altair. Once the two crat join, the

EDS will discard the loiter skirt and re its J-2Xengine again to propel the Altair and Orion on their

way to the moon.

In lunar orbit, the crew will transer into Altair and

descend to the moons surace. Te ascent stage o Altair

will return the crew rom the lunar surace to the orbit-ing Orion vehicle, which will return the crew to Earth.

Te rst crewed lunar excursion is scheduled

to launch in the 2020 timerame.

rockets


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AresI-XTestFlight

Te rst test ight or Ares I is scheduled

to occur in 2009. Tat ight, Ares I-X,

will be a suborbital development test,

providing NASA its rst opportunity

to demonstrate and collect key data to

inorm the Ares I design. Engineers will

observe the vehicles perormance in

roll and overall vehicle control; stagingand separation; aerodynamics and

vehicle loads; rst stage entry dynamics

or recovery; and vehicle integration,

assembly, and launch operations.

Ares I-X hardware is being built at sev-

eral NASA centers and industry partner

locations. Marshall is managing the rst

stage, roll control system, and avionics

systems. Te launch will take place atKennedy Space Center.

Learn more

Marshall Space Shuttle echnology Spinos

www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/background/

acts/SpinosFromTeShuttleFS.html

Human Exploration

www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/moonmars/

explore.html

Constellation NASAs New Spacecrat:

Ares and Orion

www.nasa.gov/ares

Beneting Lie on EarthSpace transportation systems stimulate development

o technologies in many areas. The Space Shuttle

Program alone has generated more than 100 tech-

nologies that have beneted U.S. industry, improved

our quality o lie, and created jobs or Americans.

A sampling o technologies originating rom space

shuttle work done at Marshall includes:

Prosthesis material A commercial derivative

o the oam insulation used to protect the shuttles

external tank replaced the heavy, ragile plaster once

used to produce master molds or prosthetics.

Automotive insulation Materials rom the

space shuttle thermal protection system are being

used on NASCAR racing cars to protect drivers

rom the extreme heat generated by the engines.

Insulating paint powder A powder createdto help insulate the space shuttle is being used in

exterior house paint to insulate residential homes

as well making it a

green paint

solution.

rockets


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LIVING AND WORKING IN SPACE

Supporting Life in Space

Marshall Space Flight Center develops and

tests lie support systems and managescommunications and operations or scientic

experiments in the near weightless environment

o space.

As NASA prepares or extended travel to the moon

and beyond, scientists, engineers, and technicians

at Marshall are developing and testing lie support

systems that will make it possible or astronauts to

survive long-duration visits in space environments.

Current eorts at Marshall that will positively

impact our uture presence in space include design-

ing and building hardware and systems or theInternational Space Station. Te center is home to

the Payload Operations Center (POC), the com-

mand post that manages science or the station.

Marshall is also developing systems or uture lie

support and living environments on the moon and

beyond so we can establish outposts rom which to

conduct science and urther explore the universe.

Astronauts working onboard the

International Space Station

systems


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International Space Station

Marshall develops, tests, and provides engineering

expertise or hardware and systems that enable astro-

nauts to live and work in space onboard the station,

the largest orbital acility ever built.

Marshall led the design, development, and testing

o the RegenerativeEnvironmentalControland

LifeSupportSystem(ECLSS) or the space sta-tion. Tis system provides water and oxygen or

the crew, recycling waste water into usable water

and reducing resupply costs.

Marshall also developed the MaterialsScience

ResearchRack, which is used or basic materials

research, leading to the discovery o new or improved

materials and new applications or existing materials.

Marshall manages other space station work

that includes:

EXPRESSRacks house a variety o payloads in

a drawer or locker-type interace, versatility that

will enable long-term use o the space station.

Te HarmonyModule connects three station sci-

ence experiment acilities, growing the space stationrom the size o a three-bedroom house to the size

o a typical ve-bedroom house.

Multi-purposeLogisticsModules, onboard the

space shuttle, carry supplies such as ood, clothing,

spare parts, and research equipment to the station

and are returned to Earth with cargo no longer

needed on the station.

Te MicrogravityScienceGloveboxenables scien-tists to participate in the assembly and operation o

experiments in space by providing a sealed, negative

pressure (vacuum) workspace or manipulation o

hardware and samples.

TeWindowObservationalResearchFacilitywill

enable viewing and Earth imaging using cameras,

multispectral scanners, and other specialized equip-

ment attached to the U.S. Destiny labs optical

quality window.

Node3, a pressurized module headed or the sta-

tion in late 2009, will house the ECLSS racks and

the crews waste and hygiene compartment, and

will enable the addition o uture modules.

Microgravity Science Glovebox

systems


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systems

Payload Operations Center

Located at Marshall, the Payload Operations

Center (POC) is the science command post or the

space station. Te POC manages all U.S. science

and research experiments onboard the station, and

coordinates all payload-related mission-planning

work; hardware deliveries; and retrieval, training,

and saety programs or station crew and ight

controllers. Te POC is also certied as a backupcontrol center or space station ight operations

in support o Johnson Space Center in Houston

during hurricanes or other emergencies.

Unique capabilities in the POC at Marshall allow

researchers around the world to perorm cutting-edge

science in the near weightless environment o space.

Communication lines and computers connect the

POC with the Mission Control Center at Johnson

Space Center the direct link to the space station.

Te operations center also can command science

operations remotely, receive vital inormation rom

the station through telemetry signals, and monitor

research operations using downlinked television.

Tis experience will be important or uture lunar

science missions.

Learn More

Payload Operations Center tour videowww.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/shuttle_station/

ops.html

Mission Operations Laboratory

http://ed.msc.nasa.gov/eo/

International Space Station (ISS) Mission page

www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station


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systems

Future Systems

Numerous systems will be required or humans

to live and work in the harsh environment o

space. Systems being researched and developed

at Marshall include:

ExplorationLifeSupportSystems

Lie support hardware that can generate and recycle

lie-sustaining resources is essential or long-durationtrips into space. Te Marshall teams experience in

creating space station systems will contribute to the

next generation o lie support systems.

Te Exploration Lie Support Project is developing

technologies or use on the moon and beyond.

RadiationHardenedElectronicsforSpace

Environments(RHESE)Project

Managed by Marshall, the RHESE project isexpanding the current state o the art in radiation

hardened electronics to develop high-perormance

devices that can withstand the extreme radiation

and temperatures o space.

In-SituResourceUtilization(ISRU)

ISRU means living o the land. Human habita-

tion on the moon will require the use o existing

resources, so that at least some o the necessary

materials will not have to be transported romEarth. ISRU includes mining or resources and

determining how to use them to create necessities.

For example, oxygen might be extracted rom lunar

regolith (moon soil) to produce water or uel.

Beneting Lie on EarthFrom microcomputers to magnetic resonance

imaging (MRI), technology developed or use on

the International Space Station has ound many

uses to benet lie on Earth.

Airplane Safety The Personal Cabin Pressure

Altitude Monitor and Warning System is a hand-

held personal saety device that warns airplane

pilots o potentially dangerous cabin pressure

conditions beore lack o oxygen becomes a threat.

Medical Robotics Autonomous robotic arms

developed to recover crew or tools outside the

space station are being used in human-collabora-

tive medical surgery and or emergency response

to chemical, biological, and nuclear materials.

Pure Water A water purication system usingtechnology rom the stations Environmental

Control and Lie Support System is improving the

quality o lie or Iraqis struggling to rebuild the

village o Kendala.

Photo courtesy o Water Security Corporation.

Fresh water in Kendala,Iraq, rom fltrationsystems based onECLSS technologies


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sc

ience

UNDERSTANDING OUR WORLD AND BEYOND

Exploring for Answers

Marshall is involved in some o the most

exciting and innovative scientic discoverieso the decade, revealing awe-inspiring new

worlds and turning theoretical research into

tangible technologies and improvements to

lie on Earth.

Whether studying Earth, the solar system, or the

universe beyond, Marshall experts oster a unique

relationship between science and

exploration, with positive

outcomes resulting rom

interdependence o

these two disci-

plines. Neither

discipline

can thrive

without

the

other.

Te center pursues new scientic knowledge with

goals o increasing understanding and beneting

humankind. Marshall accomplishes this throughthe use o specialized scientic spacecrat or explo-

ration, complex instruments or seeing the universe,

and innovative research and monitoring techniques.

Dr. Wernher von

Braun led the

development o

our nations rst

rockets and was

the rst director

o Marshall when

it was established

in 1960. Dr.

Ernst Stuhlinger

served as his chie

scientist.

Together theseearly space

pioneers one a brilliant rocket designer and the

other an eminent scientist understood the critical

importance o integrating science and exploration.

They recognized the importance o the question,

What do we plan to use this rocket or?


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sc

ience

Earth Science

Earth scientists at Marshall use space satellites

and other tools to gather data and conduct

research that can help orecasters predict weather.

Advanced technologies enable scientists to observe

and understand many other aspects o the global

climate system and use this knowledge to improve

agriculture, urban planning, and water resource

management.

HurricaneResearch

Marshalls atmospheric scientists are examining

the orces o some o the Earths most intense

hurricanes. Tey are developing instruments and

technologies to analyze the evolution o hurricanes

and to collect data and images. For example, the

Hurricane RADiometer (HIRAD) enables mapping

o the surace wind eld near a hurricanes eye. Tis

inormation helps orecasters predict the intensityand dynamics o hurricanes, helping minimize loss

o lie and property damage.

WeatherPrediction

Marshall is improving our quality o lie throughdiscoveries in weather orecasting, modeling,

and predicting. Marshalls Short-term Prediction

Research and ransition (SPoR) Center team

works closely with National Weather Service

regional orecasters, providing high-resolution

NASA data and products to improve orecasts.

Te Observing Microwave Emissions or Geospatial

Applications (OMEGA) project uses a microwave

radiometer to detect low-energy microwave radia-

tion coming rom the soil. OMEGA soil moisture

data helps weather ofcials build better weather

models, resulting in more accurate orecasts.

Satellite view o Hurricane Felix


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sc

ience

EnvironmentalMonitoring

SERVIR, a Spanish acronym meaning to serve,

is a lie-saving Earth science project that uses data

provided by NASA satellites to improve the every-

day lives o Central Americans and Eastern Aricans

by helping monitor and manage their environment.

Te SERVIR system provides critical weather

and other inormation to rescuers during and

ater disasters to help them reach people quickly,signicantly reducing the death toll.

Marshalls applied sciences team translates NASA

remote sensing data into vital public health

inormation. For example, linking satellite data

on particulate matter with data on clinic visits or

asthma patients yields inormation that helps public

health ofcials predict where asthma attacks may be

triggered. Trough similar linking, NASA satellite

data on air quality, heat indexes, temperature,

humidity, and other environmental elements can

help determine how the environment is inuencing

cardiovascular disease.

Learn More

Earth Science at Marshall

www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/scienceandtechnology/

earth.html

Science at NASAhttp://science.nasa.gov

Solar Science

Te sun and Earth orm a tightly coupled system,

with solar changes producing eects ranging rom

space weather to climate change. Marshalls solar

physics team seeks to understand how the sun

works, why it changes, and how these changes

impact the Earth and the space environment.

Marshall manages the U.S. portion o the science

operations or the Hinode mission, a collaborativeendeavor o NASA; Japans National Astronomical

Observatory; and the space agencies o Japan, the

United Kingdom, Norway, and Europe. Scientists

expect to use Hinodes science results to predict

solar events that aect communication systems on

Earth. Hinode also helps NASA develop ways to

protect crews and electronic systems on the moon

rom harmul solar radiation.

Te Solar Ultraviolet Magnetograph Investigation(SUMI) telescope is an advanced instrument built

by a team o Marshall solar physicists and engineers

to measure the strength and direction o the mag-

netic eld in the suns transition region. Researchers

hope that when this instrument is launched, it will

help explain the genesis o explosive solar ares,

raging sun storms, and other perilous space weather.

Learn More

Marshalls Solar Physics Grouphttp://solarscience.msc.nasa.gov/

SERVIR accumulated precipitation map

Instabilities in the suns magnetic feld


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sc

ience

Exploring Our Universe

o begin to understand the wonders o the

universe and observe its innite variety, NASA

created space-borne observatories that conduct

astronomical studies over dierent electromagnetic

wavelengths visible light, gamma rays, X-rays,

and inrared. Marshall scientists and the acilities

available at the center are key elements in the

design, development, and testing o these sophisti-

cated techniques.

Marshall managed the design, development, and

construction o the HubbleSpaceTelescope.

Hubble has played a key role in revealing the

age o the universe and in the discovery o dark

energy a mysterious orce that accelerates the

expansion o the universe.

Marshall provides scientic expertise and managesthe ChandraX-rayObservatory, including design,

development, construction, and current operation.

As NASAs most sophisticated X-ray observatory,

Chandra has had a proound inuence on our

understanding o black holes and the nature o

dark matter.

Te FermiGamma-ray

SpaceTelescope is making

pioneering observations ogamma-ray bursts at higher

energies than ever beore observed rom space.

Marshall developed the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor,

which is now detecting and studying gamma-ray

bursts with unprecedented precision.

TeJamesWebbSpaceTelescope(JWST) , an

inrared observatory, is scheduled to launch in

2013. Marshall is conducting cryogenic optical test-

ing o the telescopes primary mirror segments in itsworld-class X-ray & Cryogenic Facility. Because the

JWS will have a larger mirror and will go deeper

into space than previous telescopes, it can peer

urther back in time to nd the rst galaxies that

ormed in the universe.

Learn More

Hubble Space elescope

http://hubble.nasa.gov

James Webb Space elescope

http://ngst.nasa.gov

Gamma-ray Burst Monitor

http://64.nsstc.nasa.gov/gbm

Chandra X-ray Observatory

www.nasa.gov/chandra


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sc

ience

Crime-solving technologies Image-processingtechnology used to study meteorological images

and to analyze space shuttle launch video helps

law enorcement agencies improve crime-solving

video. The technology removes deects caused by

image jitter, image rotation, and image zoom, and

was helpul in solving the pipe-bomb incident at the

Atlanta Olympics.

Beneting Lie on EarthThe pursuit o scientic knowledge enables us

to address our undamental questions about

the history o Earth, the solar system, and the

universe and about our place in the cosmos.

Stable communications Solar fares and other

solar events can disrupt communications on Earth,

disable satellites, and threaten astronauts with

deadly radiation storms. Increasing our understand-

ing o solar phenomena helps us predict solar

events, allowing us to protect humans and equip-

ment and maintain the valuable data and

communications provided to Earth by satellites.

Archaeological discoveries SERVIR uses

satellite imagery to detect long-lost ruins o

the Mayan civilization. Through this work,

Marshall scientists have learned that one othe actors contributing to the disap-

pearance o this ancient civilization

was the destruction o the

rain orest, which altered

the climate and upset

the agricultural

balance.

A vibrant space exploration program will engage the

public, encourage students, and help develop the high-tech

workorce that will be required to address the challenges o

the uture.


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facilities

FACILITIES AND EXPERTISE

Marshall Capabilities

Power the Future

With key expertise in systems engineeringand integration, Marshall Space Flight Center

oers a unique blend o workorce capabilities

and distinctive

acilities to meet

both current and

uture exploration

goals.

Marshall team

members represent

a variety o engineer-

ing and scientic

disciplines and have a

wealth o experience,

giving the center

an exceptional base

o knowledge. Tis

knowledge base is

enhanced by a unique

combination o

design and test acili-ties, some o which

are ound nowhere

else in the world.

Marshall is home

to highly specialized facilities:

est acilities include historic test stands such asthe Dynamic est Stand and the Saturn V S-1C

est Stand that are being reurbished or Ares

rocket testing.

State-o-the-art vacuum chambers, clean rooms, liq-

uid oxygen and liquid hydrogen test acilities, and

the Propulsion Research Development Laboratory

are being used to propel America into the uture.

Te Michoud Assembly Facility, located in NewOrleans and managed by Marshall, is one o the

worlds largest manuacturing plants.

Te National Center or Advanced Manuacturing

at Michoud is a partnership including NASA,

Louisiana, and the University o New Orleans. Te

center provides advanced manuacturing technology.

Americas largest riction stir welding tool or join-

ing thin, high-strength metals such as aluminum-

lithium will be used in manuacturing new launch

vehicles and spacecrat.

Friction stir welding tool

Rapid prototyping oJ-2X engine


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facilities

Te Payload Operations Center is the science

command post or science activities onboard

the International Space Station. It includes data

acilities or near-real-time data, voice, video, inor-

mation management, data reduction, and payload

planning. Scientists around the world are provided

a direct link to their experiments.

Te at oor acility, where objects can oat on athin layer o air atop the worlds attest oor, allows

controllers to test techniques or spacecrat docking

or remote-controlled robotics.

Marshalls Building 4600 is NASAs rst certied

silver-level Leadership in Environmental Engineering

and Design building. LEED-certied buildings reduce

environmental impact and provide energy cost sav-

ings, and healthier working and living environments.

Optics acilities include those or developing optical

components such as lenses, mirrors, prisms, and

gratings; or housing an extensive collection o unique

advanced equipment to cut, grind, polish, and coat

precision optical components; and or characterizing and

calibrating optics in both Earth and space environments.

Te X-ray & Cryogenic Facility and other acilities

enable metrology, coating, abrication, and more.

Te National Space Science echnology Center

(NSSC) in Huntsville, Alabama, is an exceptional

research acility on the campus o UAHuntsville,

where many o Marshalls scientists and engineers

perorm cutting-edge research and development

in Earth and space sciences. Work at the NSSC

is accomplished in collaboration with co-located

university, private sector, and government researchers.Tis shared environment includes unique acilities

and specialized laboratories that enable research

yielding results ranging rom insights on the structure

and evolution o the universe to a more complete

understanding o the Earths global climate system.

Learn More

Michoud Assembly Facility

www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/michoud

National Center or Advanced Manuacturing

www.ncamlp.org

X-ray & Cryogenic Facility

http://optics.nasa.gov/acilities/xraycal.html

NSSC

www.nsstc.org

X-ray & Cryogenic Facility

The frst James Webb Space Telescope mirror arrivesat Marshall or cryogenic testing.


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There can be no thought o fnishing,

or aiming at the stars, both literally and

fguratively, is the work o generations.

But no matter how much

progress one makes,

there is always the

thrill o just

beginning.

Dr. Wernher

von Braun

contact

CONTACT US

Mailing and Shipping

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

MSFC, Huntsville, AL 35812

Marshall Inormation

2565442121

Public Inquiries

2565441382

Media Inquiries

2565440034

History Ofce2565446840

Freedom o Inormation Act (FOIA) Requests

2565441837

Speaker Requests

2565441715

Exhibit Requests

2565446541

Marshall Visitor Inormation Center

2568373400

Educator Resource Center

U.S. Space & Rocket Center Complex

2565445812


25/25

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

George C. Marshall Space Flight Center

Huntsville, AL 35812

www.nasa.gov/marshall

www.nasa.gov

NASAs Role in Americas Future

Throughout history, nations that have explored new ron-

tiers have become the great leaders o their time. Great

Britain became powerul in the 17th century through

exploration and mastery o the seas. Americas greatnessin the 20th century was largely a result o command o

the air. For uture generations, the rontier will be space.

When Neil Armstrong took those frst steps on the moon,

the world recognized the United States or that amazing

accomplishment. As we led in development o the space

shuttle and o the International Space Station, the world

continued to recognize America as the leader in space.

Now, we enter a new era. As other nations announce their

plans or human exploration, a new challenge lies ahead.To continue our preeminence in space, we must proceed

steadastly with our nations exploration policy and return

to the moon this time to stay.

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