BEHIND THE HEADLINES IN SPACE

[Music] fuel cells provide electrical power for spacecraft instrumentation this is the concern of another division of engineering and development of the man spacecraft Center the instrumentation and electronic systems division instrumentation is the means for providing all necessary intelligence about spacecraft performance and environment to the pilot and to monitors on the ground it includes cameras tape recorders radiation detectors heat sensors special instrument panel displays and other monitoring devices electronic systems are used for communication tracking and data handling on board the spacecraft one of the major functions of the instrumentation and electronic systems division is to provide all instrumentation and communication systems for the early Apollo research and development modules called boiler plates this includes purchase of off-the-shelf items where possible or the development of special equipment where necessary evaluation of equipment complete test and flight qualification of components assembly of test bread boards final system checkouts and shipment to the contractor for installation on boiler plates close quality control of all instrumentation and electronic systems is maintained by the division through extensive development modification and testing first in the standards and quality assurance Laboratories the test equipment itself is calibrated to meet Bureau of Standards values such as pressure frequency direct current voltage and electrical resistance the test equipment then calibrates flight gear and is used in acceptance and qualification testing of systems and components in the environmental testing lab equipment includes oxygen Chambers vibration equipment for shake tests a small centrifuge capable of testing a 100 PB item to 100 G's a shock tester humidity and high temperature ovens and vacuum Chambers which can closely simulate the vacuum of outer space and the instrument ation laboratory instruments are also modified and prepared for field tests several tests are made in the qualification processing of instruments these pictures show tests on a high-speed camera like the cameras placed on launch vehicles for recording events such as this Air Force photography of the separation of stages on a Titan vehicle here a battery pack is being cycled to determine an Optimum charge rate heat sensors under development for Apollo heat shield instrumentation are subjected to a settlin flame tests the heat sensing element generates an electrical signal proportionate to the heat surrounding it the tests are a good example of how electronic instrumentation is used to gather data for spacecraft systems design wave analysis is another useful technology for spacecraft systems Design This spectral wave analyzer can take complex wave forms such as those recorded in vibration tests and break them down into frequency components and amplitudes which can be converted to equations of use to the structural design and test engineer the first facility of the instrumentation and electronic systems division in operation at the clear l Lake site of the man spacecraft Center was a nuclear radiation laboratory here the effect of radiation on instruments and systems can be studied critical units which may be affected by radiation in space flight are electronic components such as transistors and diodes and also photographic material such as film and camera lenses in addition to space radiation the use of nuclear power systems for future missions such as those to the planet Mars will create high radiation levels on systems and components within the power system itself to simulate these radiation levels the radiation laboratory has been equipped with a variety of nuclear sources and generators one such system is the so-called gamma irradiator containing radioactive Cobalt 60 test specimens can be placed in the irradiator and subjected to gamma dose rates as high as 20,000 rans per hour some components such as Optical lenses which might be part of a closed circuit television system used to monitor Power Systems Operations show significant changes under such smaller doses of radiation 5,000 renkins will discolor or blacken some camera lenses photographic film is also given irradiation tests as well as other tests such as those which reveal the effect on film of space vacuum scientists and Engineers of the division also study and test Comm communication equipment and methods in their work they utilize several facilities from this shielded room used to isolate radio frequency sources and to test instruments for sensitivity to radio frequency interference to this microwave an optical laboratory in this lab experiments are being conducted with lasers socalled from the initials of the phrase light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation many materials can be energized in this manner this is a pulsed laser using a ruby for the conversion of electrical energy into the radiant energy of an intense beam of light imp pulses measured in thousands of a second and this is a gas laser using helium and neon for continuous rather than pulse emission a single laser beam has the theoretical capability of transmitting a vast amount of communication data this laser uses gallium arsenide which produces a comparatively broad bandwidth a laser radar may possibly be developed for such uses as rendevu and docking of Apollo spacecraft such devices for the maneuvering of spacecraft will be utilized by another division of engineering and development the guidance and control division to obtain data for all areas of guidance and control the division's flight simulation branch uses both digital and analog computers to take the place of spacecraft not yet built by simulating various conditions of space flight on a computer a great deal of time can be saved and the cost of building experimental Hardware is eliminated in a simulated flight problem an engineer performs the functions of the pilot the computer takes the place of the free flying spacecraft whose inertia and reaction control characteristics are programmed in the computer after a run Begins the computer computes the motions and New Attitudes of the simulated spacecraft and places these on the Pilot's flight instruments a model of the spacecraft in this case Apollo's lunar Excursion module may also be used to represent the movements of the spacecraft on a plot board with hand controls the pilot fires jet thrusters and controls the main engine of the simulated spacecraft he can cause the craft to roll pitch and yaw or to move in different directions at different speeds the blip on the scope shows the pilot his position with respect to his destination this device which space technologists call an eightball is an attitude indicator it tells the pilot the attitude of his spacecraft by simulation problems in any phase of space flight can be extensively studied this table is another simulated spacecraft called an air bearing table it is mounted on air in a manner which makes possible an almost frictionless environment it is used by the guidance and control division to study the accuracy and flight characteristics of guidance systems in the study under way here the pilot a control and guidance engineer is testing the torquing capability of a two-axis gyro to move the spacecraft clockwise and counterclockwise the gyro is operated by the engineer pilot electrically through tie lines from the torque reaction box due to its almost frictionless mounting the table can continue to rotate for more than 24 hours after being set in motion thus the table simulates closely the frictionless condition of flight in space other tools used by the guidance and control division include this linear rate table to measure the accuracy of accelerometers this oscillating rate table which can test almost any accelerometer to tell how well it operates standard tool such as this Square wave generator being used to verify a simple switching logic circuit and more advanced testing devices such as the optical divider here being aligned prior to its use in checking Optical guidance instruments for accuracy a fifth division of engineering and development determines the need and helps design special Test Facilities required in support of the man spacecraft Cent program this is the structures and mechanics division the space simulation laboratory at the per Clear Lake site is an example of such Test Facilities this is a 160th scale model of the laboratory designed to house two Chambers containing vacuum and nitrogen refrigeration systems and solar simulators to simulate the environment of space the chambers will reproduce temperature and vacuum conditions to be encountered on Journeys to the moon and Beyond the interior of the small chamber is 25 ft in diameter and 30 ft High the large one is 55 ft in diameter and 95 ft High containing a Giant's handful of outer space captured on Earth for tests of complete Apollo spacecraft modules in such a simulated space environment the Earth's gravity of course cannot be changed but the vacuum which can be created in each chamber is close enough to the hard vacuum of space for an ordinary light bulb filament to continue to burn without its glass covering the first facility of the structures and mechanics division to go into operation at Clear Lake was this arcjet used for testing spacecraft heat shield materials the arcjet produces a stream of high temperature air with energy similar to that associated with entry into the atmosphere at Super orbital velocity air is heated in the arc Jet by passing nitrogen through an electrical Arc and mixing oxygen to simulate the chemical composition of air the air is heated to temperatures in excess of 8,000 de Kelvin with heat content of over 15,000 BTUs per pound at such temperatures The Arc heater itself must be water cooled to maintain its structural Integrity a test is monitored by motion picture and television cameras as well as thermocouples in the arcjet system test runs are programmed manually test control consoles display flow rates and other operating parameters samples of heat shield materials are placed in the arcjet by a specimen inserter which can also remove a sample at a specified time post test analyses are made of each sample whether the spacecraft structure be part of a heat shield or a new type of astronaut couch it is tested by engineers and technicians of the structures and mechanics division in this qualification test proving a crew systems design concept accelerometers are used to measure the vibration response of both couch and dummy pilot to determine how much vibration energy can be absorbed by a net couch during liftoff and re-entry the structural characteristics of recovery systems are also analyzed by structure and mechanics Engineers the returning space traveler must be equipped with adequate survival gear in the event of Landings in remote areas on land or water Survival equipment is one of the responsibilities of the crew systems division various contingencies are studied such as water filling the pressure suit and difficulties both before and after the astronaut slips out of his parachute harness these underwater scenes show life rafts and garments being given flotation tests to determine the best designs for keeping men afloat in the proper position the aim is to develop a single piece of flotation gear which will keep survivors in a semi Supine position under all circumstances a three-man life raft is being developed for Apollo survival flotation characteristics of new configurations are studied in an attempt to find a single three-man raft as reliable as three one-man rafts yet weighing less the suitability of the gony space suit for parachute Landings ending emission or after emergency ejections is here being tested in realistic conditions at the Navy's El Central Air Station Air Force pilots and spacecraft Center Personnel carry out drop tests to establish the aerodynamic characteristics of the gines suit as well as its compatibility with various parachute systems other space flight conditions and systems are studied by the crew systems division spacecraft environmental control systems are among the most important they govern the oxygen pressure and temperature of spacecraft atmosphere and the treatment and disposal of met abolic wastes moisture and carbon dioxide removal ventilation and temperature control for the two-man gmany crew are accomplished by a module under the ejection seats the green tank contains primary breathing oxygen the yellow tanks contain hydrogen and oxygen for fuel cells just as vital as the spacecraft's environmental control system are the astronaut's personal life support system pressure suits are developed by crew systems engineers and provide a closed system for protection in the event of loss of cabin pressure here the giny suit is undergoing acceptance testing it has removable glove sections and headpiece to provide a partial wear condition for astronaut comfort and exercise it is anticipated that during a g Mission an astronaut May egress by unlatching his pressurized hatch opening it and climbing out of his cockpit to perform various experiments he will rely on his portable life support system outside the spacecraft he may require thermal protection against the space environment an initial concept consisted of this coverall suitable for Dawning in the confined area of the spacecraft other Concepts involve thermal protection built into the pressure garment itself a complete suit in portable life support assembly is also being furnished by the crew systems division for Apollo Moon missions the phase B configuration is shown undergoing part of a series of acceptance tests under varying pressure the suit is tested for Mobility capability and of course leakage varying torqus are applied to all joints to measure their resistance the ability of a man on the moon to function in the Apollo pressure suit is also studied in aircraft simulations of the moon's gravity which is only one sixth that of the earth these tests in cooperation with the Air Force provided data on man's ability to walk to get up from a fall and to use tools on the moon water produced by spacecraft fuel cells is put to good use by the crew systems division's environmental physiologists in a spacecraft every bit of space and weight must be conserved in order to carry as large a payload as possible so food must be Compact and lightweight as well as nutritious and palatable the moisture present in the mouth is enough to enjoy small portions in the normal manner however water must be added to reconstitute larger food servings which are freeze dry that is frozen and dehydrated by a process that takes water out of the food without changing it otherwise the food is prepared Frozen and placed in a chamber under high vacuum where it is dehydrated after such freeze drying The Taste and structure of solid foods Remains the Same but a 2B item May weigh only half a pound with the water removed to make it edible again the astronaut will pump water into the bag through a nozzle in one end 2 ounces of water are enough to reconstitute meals such as pot roast of beef or chicken and gravy each pound of water weight eliminated from a space meal also eliminates the several hundred pounds of fuel otherwise required to carry it on a moon Mission Medical Research is another important activity of the crew systems vision from each of the Mercury man space flights important data were obtained by pre-flight and post-flight examinations as well as bioinstrumentation during flight but to obtain further data research must also be conducted under simulated space flight conditions on Earth for example to obtain knowledge about the human body's ability to function and survive after prolonged periods of weightlessness groups of volunteers are subjected to complete bed rest for periods up to 2 weeks this produces symptoms like those expected to result from prolonged weightlessness after a few days of strict bed rest circulation becomes sluggish and on standing up a subject experiences dizziness from diminished blood flow to the brain another highly important study in immobilization experiments concerns the demineralization of human bone and the loss of muscle mass produced because the body bones muscles and cardiovascular system are not constantly working against Gravity the results of these Earthbound bed rest experiments May determine the necessity and degree of artificial gravity and the types of other corrective measures which must be provided on Long space flights one method of providing artificial gravity in space may be by rotation of space modules to create centrifugal force studies are also being made of the use of short radius centrifuges rotating inside spacecraft to condition crew members by periodic exposure to G forces another vital area of medical research being conducted by the crew systems division concerns the ability of man to survive the crushing G forces of deceleration on re-entry from longer flights the speed of a Mercury spacecraft as it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere from Earth orbital flight was approximately 5 m/ second but on returning from a flight to the moon the comparable re-entry speed exceed 7 m/s returning from a journey to the planet Mars This speed may be increased to more than 11 Ms the G forces resulting from the breaking action of the atmosphere when a spacecraft enters it at such speeds make it difficult or impossible for a human being to breathe the rate at which his lungs Supply oxygen to his blood and brain is reduced as the lungs tend to collapse under such forces if the rate of supply of oxygen to the brain is too low or if the process continues too long the Pilot's efficiency at the tasks of operating the vehicle is diminished or with more severe stress unconsciousness may result the same results could occur in simulated atmosphere entry tests in which g-forces on a test subject are created by accelerating the subject in the gondola of a centrifuge at Johnsville Pennsylvania arterial blood oxygen tests at the Navy's Aviation medical acceleration laboratory are conducted by crew systems division specialists in cooperation with navy doctors and with Navy and Marine pilots as subjects extreme care is taken in such efforts to learn more about the oxygen supply to the brain under such conditions for a continuous determination of blood oxygen saturation in The Superficial circulation of the ear an oximeter is worn by the test pilot under his helmet blood samples collected during a control test run can be compared with the oximeter analyses special equipment is installed in and on the subject's left arm to collect samples of his blood during the simulated entry a plastic catheter is inserted in the artery to draw blood on command into a syringe the sample can then be analyzed for oxygen content and capacity during a simulated entry medical doctors and technicians and a psychologist carefully monitor the condition of the subject by instruments voice and television in this run the blood sample will be collected from the subject's arm when a specified g-load is reached any danger to the well-being of the pilot is indicated on the control room instruments in the event of danger the centrifuge is brought to a halt and the test is terminated the results of these experiments will determine whether a man can withstand the atmosphere entry deceleration forces of future space missions as currently designed if not modification of mission Concepts and spacecraft structures may be necessary or other protective means such as specialized items of personal equipment must be developed Ved this is a 12th scale model of the flight acceleration facility at Clear Lake with it crew systems Engineers can check out entire systems duplicating the interior of a spacecraft with a three-man crew aboard such as will be used in Apollo missions the centrifuge can generate a maximum force of 30 G's for 3 minutes a force of 20 G's for sustained periods and can simulate a change of acceleration rate of about 8 GS per second its 50t radius arm length can rotate a 3,000lb payload in a 12T diameter Gondola at 42 revolutions per minute the final division covered by this film report was the first engineering and Development Division to occupy fully its permanent building at Clear Lake this is the computation and Analysis division applying the latest advances in the data processing field this division services and assists all man spacecraft Center offices and helps solve complex problems in mathematics physics engineering information and management for example we have seen how the advanced spacecraft technology division studies radiation shielding the problem is simple enough in the physics involved but highly complex in its geometry large high-speed electronic computers are required to describe the location and configuration of all parts of the spacecraft and to trace the radiation through it similarly each of the other divisions relies on computation and data reduction equipment and Specialists using the most modern techniques the results of such experiments as bed rest studies of the crew systems division are rapidly computed and made available in medical experiments data such as blood pressure and respiration are recorded at frequent intervals on cards the data May then be transferred to tape for correlation and Analysis the plotted data can then be photographed on microfilm and viewed in continuous form or printed as single plots giving Medical Specialists their vital comparative research facts in almost any field of inquiry the computation and Analysis Center can provide in a matter of minutes answers that might require years to arrive at by manual techniques in cooperation With Private Industry universities and other governmental centers the engineering and development Personnel of the man spacecraft Center have greatly contributed to this decade's accelerating expansion of fundamental knowledge as we learn more about space as we solve more of its riddles we also learn more about the Earth and about the mysteries of life itself these men and women may never Ascend farther from Earth than their own desks and Laboratories but there behind the headlines they quietly prepare tomorrow's breakthroughs in the exploration of our universe the most complex and the most exciting of Mankind's Adventures a [Music]