NASA’s top events for 2008

NASA TEAM A RECIPIENT OF CELEBRATED COLLIER TROPHY — NASA was part of a team that received one of the most prestigious awards in aviation in June. Judges for the Robert J. Collier Trophy, awarded by the National Aeronautic Association, chose the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, or ADS-B, team of public and private groups to receive the 2007 honor. According to the selection committee, “ADS-B is a ground-breaking effort for next-generation airborne surveillance and cockpit avionics. Its implementation will have a broad impact on the safety, capacity and efficiency of the national airspace system.” Researchers at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., and NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., were part of the extensive team that developed and tested ADS-B.

NASA RETURNS TO THE MOON WITH INSTRUMENTS ON INDIAN SPACECRAFT — NASA has partnered with India to fly two science instruments aboard the country’s first lunar explorer, Chandrayaan-1. The Indian Space Research Organization launched Chandrayaan-1 on Oct. 22 from Sriharikota, India. It entered lunar orbit on Nov. 8. NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper is surveying mineral resources of the moon, and the Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar is mapping the moon’s polar regions and looking for ice deposits in the permanently shadowed craters. Data from the two instruments is contributing to NASA’s increased understanding of the lunar environment as the agency implements the nation’s space exploration policy, which calls for robotic and human missions to the moon.

NASA TESTS HELP RECORD-BREAKING OLYMPIANS ROCKET THROUGH WATER — NASA know-how helped swimsuit designers create a body suit worn by an assortment of gold medalists and world record holders at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Among the medalists wearing Speedo’s LZR Racer were Americans Michael Phelps — winner of more Olympic gold medals than any athlete in the modern era — and Natalie Coughlin. Aerospace engineer Steve Wilkinson at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., played a role in developing the swimsuit by testing dozens of fabrics in Langley’s 7-by-11-inch low speed wind tunnel. Warnaco Inc., the U.S. licensee of the Speedo swimwear brand, approached Langley to test fabric samples because the NASA center has researched drag reduction for aircraft and boats for decades. Just as reducing drag helps planes fly more efficiently, reducing drag helps swimmers go faster. Studies indicate viscous drag or skin friction is almost a third of the total restraining force on a swimmer. Wind tunnel tests measured the drag on the surface of the fabrics. Speedo’s research and development team, Aqualab, took the results and used them to help create advanced “space-age” swimsuit designs.

Visitors to NASA’s Web site can vote on the top NASA story of the year.

Source: NASA

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