On Dec. 17, 1903, Orville Wright lifted an awkward biplane above the windswept dunes at Kitty Hawk, N.C., and became the first person to achieve powered flight. Others, such as Alexander Bell and Langley, had tried and failed, but it was the Wright brothers who were first successful. It wasn’t much of a flight, lasting only about 12 seconds and covering only about 120 feet at a top speed of 30 miles per hour, but on that day, a new frontier was opened to humankind. The Wright Flyer ushered in a new era in which we were no longer bound to the ground. The world suddenly became a lot smaller.

However, no one but the Wrights knew what it was really like on that chilly day in December. That is because no one else has ever flown the original craft, which is now confined to the Smithsonian Institution. Some senior engineers and members of the LA Section decided to change that. They vowed to build an exact replica in hopes that for the first time, we could really understand the aerodynamic miracle that took place 96 years ago. The road has been rocky, with the first replica destroyed in a fire. In contrast to the Wright brothers, who took less than a year to build their biplane, the LA Section volunteers have spent their Saturdays for the past 18 years planning and assembling the replica.

The present Wright Flyer replicates the 1903 aircraft in design, size, appearance and aerodynamics, with some changes made to strengthen the plane for wind tunnel testing. The full-scale replica was built with precise data using Smithsonian drawings from the original airplane. Data obtained from testing on this full-scale replica will provide a sound technical basis for improving the flying qualities and safety for the second full-scale airplane, which is yet to be constructed. It also under went special testing as a prerequisite for entering the NASA wind tunnel. One stipulation was static testing, in which more than three times the flight load (or more than 3,000 pounds) was applied. Another NASA requirement was propeller system testing, which was performed at Able Corp. in Yorba Linda, CA. All this data is currently under review by the Wright Flyer Team.

As some of you may already know, Bob Sackheim will be leaving the LA area to accept a new position as Assistant Director of NASA’s Space Propulsion Systems Programs, serving the Office of the Director at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. As an active member of the LA Section, Bob will be missed.

Bob has been a member of AIAA for 25 years, spending most of that time in the Los Angeles Section. He has made many significant contributions at both the national and local levels. He has served as the chairman of the Liquid Propulsion Technical Committee, Joint Propulsion Conference technical sessions, and of the AIAA Workshop Committee on Space Propulsion for the Space Exploration Initiative. At the local level, Bob served as the Los Angeles Section Chairman for nearly two years, playing an instrumental role in strengthening and revitalizing the section. Following his term as Chair, Bob continued to serve the section as a member of the Advisory Council. He most recently participated in the Spring Technical Symposium sponsored by the LA Section.

His contributions to the industry are also numerous and significant over the last 36 years. Following graduation from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and completion of his Air Force ROTC program in 1960, Bob was assigned to the USAF Titan II R&D launch crew. It was here that he "fell in love with rockets." Although he was slated to work as a chemical project engineer for Union Carbide in Charleston, West Virginia, Bob opted to follow heart and never looked back. He remarks that he loved working with rockets so much, he "felt guilty getting paid, even at the paltry rate of an Air Force 2nd Lt."

Since that time, Bob has made a name for himself in propulsion, with over 100 published papers, collaboration on two text books, seven patents, and work on several successful programs. He has been honored with three NASA Group Achievement Awards, the AIAA James Wyld Propulsion Award for Outstanding Technical Contribution in the Field of Rocket Propulsion, and the AIAA/NASA Shuttle Flag Award. He was elected as an AIAA fellow in 1994, and to the International Academy of Astronautics in 1997.

In 1964, he joined TRW where he served as project manager for the Mariner Mars Propulsion Subsystem developed in cooperation with NASA JPL and used on the Mariner 6 and 7 spacecraft and was assigned as one of the development engineers on the Lunar module Descent Engine Program. From 1969 to 1972, he served as a project engineer for Intelsat propulsion systems, working on the technical staff of the Communications Satellite Corporation.

He later returned to TRW, taking on a number of managerial roles in TRW’s Product Engineering Department, Propulsion and Power Line of Business and Hardware Engineering Laboratory. In 1983, Bob led the propulsion team that was responsible for the rescue of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS), Flight 1. Following separation from the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), TDRS-1 was in an elliptical orbit rather than the intended geosynchronous orbit. Under Bob’s leadership, engineers were able to correct the satellite’s orbit over a four month period using thrusters which generated less than 0.0005 g of acceleration. The successful recovery of the TDRS-1 satellite has been hailed as remarkable. In 1993, Bob assumed his current position of TRW’s Propulsion Systems Center Manager responsible for liquid, gel propellant and solid rocket propulsion, fluid systems, materials technology, chemistry support and non-photovoltaic power, systems engineering, research, and technology.

As part of his new position, Bob will be providing expert advice and leadership for all MSFC propulsion initiatives. He will be responsible for technical oversight/counseling and executive leadership on all MSFC advanced space propulsion research and development activities.

Outside of the world of propulsion, Bob likes to spend his time playing tennis, building models, and studying the Civil War. He and his wife, Babette, have two children, a daughter, Karen, and a son, Andrew.

Although Bob’s presence will be missed by all LA Section members, myself included, we wish him the best of luck in his new position.

Welcome to the new members and transfers into our section:

Mr. Michael Bedinger

Mr. Earl R Beeman II

Mr. Randy H Brinkley

Mr. Robert W Chapman

Mr. Ian R Claypool

Col. Gary Culp

Mr. Steven T Dunham

Ms. Sabrina A Erickson

Vera Gore

Garnick Hairapetian

Mr. Michael J Houtermn

Mr. Jack A Jones

Ms. Mildred J Kronfly

Dr. Francis C Lee

Mr. Jose L Mancera

Mr. Duane F Mikula

Ms. Nancy F Nakagiri

Mr. Dale Parker

Mrs. Paula L Shuman

Mr. Stephen R Smith Jr.

Mr. Nallan C Suresh

Mrs. Susan M Thibodeaux

Mr. Gary W Valentine

Mr. Keith Volkert

Dr. Richard P Welle

Ms. Hollie M Wright

You can visit the AIAA website, www.aiaa.org, to renew your membership or change your membership information on-line. You can also renew your membership by calling 1-800-NEW-AIAA.

For June’s new members: I said in your welcome letter that our next dinner meeting would be held in August, which was a mistake. Your vouchers will be accepted at the next dinner meeting (September’s Dinner Meeting), despite the fact that they say August.

We would also like to extend congratulations to two of our council members who were married in July:

On July 3, 1999, Annik Neill, Pre-College Outreach Vice Chair, married Ari Majamäki.

On July 31, 1999, Annamarie Alicastro, Young Members Vice Chair, married Mark Ellington.

Best wishes and congratulations to both couples as they begin their new lives.

Each year, the LA Section sponsors a special recognition award at the California State Science Fair in the category of fluid mechanics/aerodynamics/thermophysics. This award recognizes excellence in aeronautical and aerospace related projects in the junior and senior divisions.

This year, the AIAA Chairman’s Award for Excellence in the Junior Division at the California State Science Fair went to Tyler C. Jennison. Tyler is a 7th grader from Jacobsen Junior High School in Tehachapi, California. Tyler’s project, entitled "Wing Chord vs. Stall Rates" was a parametric study on the sensitivity of wing chord length on the angle of attack at which a wing stalls. Tyler constructed a wind tunnel, wings of varying chord lengths, and a flow visualization system which used liquid smoke. Tyler and his project scored high in comprehension, organization and completeness, effort and motivation, and clarity. While there were several wind tunnel experiments, Tyler’s flow visualization system was unique. Congratulations go out to Tyler Jennison and to Rose Kusky, Tyler’s advisor on the project.

In the Senior Division, the award went to Ian R. Whittinghill, a ninth grader from Camarillo (Adolfo) High School in Camarillo, California. Ian’s project, "Establishing the Regression Rate of Polyethylene Fuel in a Nitrous Oxide Powered Rocket Motor" showed originality and scored high in the areas of comprehension, organization, completeness, effort, motivation, and clarity. Ian’s project was also awarded First Place for the Senior Division in the category of fluid mechanics/aerodynamics/thermophysics. Congratulations to Ian and his advisor, Mr. Vonnie Hicks.

The Annual Picnic and Awards Ceremony was held on July 24, 1999. Many members attended with their spouses and families. A number of individuals were recognized for outstanding service to the section and for anniversaries.

The following individuals were recognized for their work as part of the 1998-1999 Executive Committee:

Raul Rey, Chairman

Zakir Mirza, Chair Elect

Charles Kilmer, Secretary

Jeff Chi, Finance

Jennifer Christopher, Membership

Charity Lawson, Newsletter & Pre-College

Madhu Thangavelu, Education

Neil Dipprey, Public Policy

Matthew Biggs, Honors & Awards

Philippe Adam, Programs

Annamarie Alicastro, Young Members

G.P. Purohit, Technical

Darren Garber, Career Enhancement

Gus Ordonez, Chapters

Keith Comeaux, Special Events

Annik Neill, Pre-College

Harry Staubs, CALSAT

Richard Denison, CALSAT

Frederick Eade, Voice of History

Jack Cherne, Wright Flyer

Howard Marx, Advisory Council

Louis Gomberg, Advisory Council

Steve Smith, Advisory Council

Robert Walquist, Advisory Council

Robert Brodsky, Advisory Council

Walter Watson, Advisory Council

Norm Hill, Advisory Council

Jack Cherne, Advisory Council

Guido Frassinelli, Advisory Council

Robert Sackheim, Advisory Council

Mary Kelley was recognized for her generous contributions to the 1998/1999 Los Angeles Section Executive Committee; especially the very successful 1999 Spring Symposium.

Charity Lawson was recognized for her outstanding contributions to the 1998/1999 Los Angeles Section Executive Committee: Newsletter, Bylaws Committee, Webmaster, PreCollege and New Awards Committee.

The following individuals were recognized for their outstanding contributions and hard work on the highly successful Wright Flyer Project:

Howard Marx, Don Dawson, Kim Bailey, Fred Culick, Gary Moir, John Latz, Arvin Basnight, Don Dotson, Joe Lander, Bill Haynes, Rich Grimm, Bob Sechrist, Lenny Riegel & Mugsy Malone, Steve Shackelford, Bob Trelease, Walter Watson, Chuck Thomas, Marilyn Ramsey, Bill Sparks, Brad Beal, David Fee, Bud Chamberlain, Ed Marin, Henry Jex and Jay Stewart.

50 Year Members: M. Bell, Joseph Grieco, Thomas Vrebalovich, Thomas Rooney, and Micheal Spak.

40 Year Members: Dwight Abbott, Robert Chapkis, Merton Davies, Richard Denno, Stanley Mellin, I. Shapiro, Richard Bobco, Barry Boehm, Harold Adelson, Harvey Kushner, Frances LaMar, Robert Larson, Chester Whitehair, Robert Arenz, Michael Ciminera, William Gaubatz, Joseph Peterson, Morris Steinberg, and Larry Mattson.

25 Year Members: Don Tomajan, Kevin Zondervan, Philip Donatelli, Jerry Lockenour, Joel Storch, Thomas Welmers, Duane Hove, Michael Yankulich, Ralph Iwens, Edward Zadorozny, Bertil Winther, Jerry Muench, David Brown, Douglas Dethlefsen, Robert Sackheim, Jean Gebman, and John Stauffer. 

 

Raul Rey, 1998-1999 Chair

 

 

AIAA Members gather for presentation of awards by Matt Biggs, Honors & Awards Chair.

 

 

 

 

Wright Flyer Team Members.

 

 

Jack Cherne, Wright Flyer Program Chair presenting awards to the Wright Flyer Project Team Members.

 

 

 

Left to Right: Kristin Matas, Howard Marx, and Bob Brodsky play croquet following the awards ceremony.

 

 

 

 

Sixty-six attendees heard Mark Skidmore and Jerry Salvatore discuss the Hughes Global Services Salvage Mission at the April 21st dinner meeting. This mission was unusual in that the moon was used to salvage a satellite and put it into a useful orbit.

Hughes Space and Communications Co. built AsiaSat 3 for the Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Limited, or AsiaSat. It was an HS 601HP or high-power satellite with 9900 watts of power. The intent was to increase AsiaSat’s capacity to provide television and telecommunications services to Asia, the Middle East, Australia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. This was the second spacecraft supplied by Hughes to AsiaSat.

It was the end of a successful year for Hughes with eight launches in 1997, including three in December. AsiaSat 3 was launched by a Proton launch vehicle on December 25, 1997 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. However, at 6 hours and 20 minutes into flight, the Block DM upper stage engine shut down after one second instead of 110 seconds during the second of its two planned burns. This left the satellite in a highly elliptical orbit with an apogee of 22,300 miles, a perigee of just 155 miles, and an inclination of 18 degrees. This was a completely useless orbit for the spacecraft.

The insurers declared it a total loss even though it was fully functional. Hughes Global Services, Inc., (HGS) obtained title in April 1998 and renamed the satellite HGS-1. When HGS obtained title to the satellite, it agreed to try to find revenue-producing uses for the satellite and to share profits with the insurers. This apparent failure was turned into an opportunity for someone to kick-start their business with an in-orbit satellite, at less cost and time than it would take to contract and build their own satellite.

It had been theorized for some time that a lunar fly-by could be used for increasing earth orbits but not attempted. Based on that concept, Hughes orbital engineers devised a novel mission to salvage the satellite, using lunar gravity to improve the resulting orbit once the satellite returned to Earth.

Hughes started the rescue of the satellite with a series of burns using the station keeping motors in April and early May to gradually raise the perigee past the Moon’s orbit. The final burn, on May 7, raised its orbit such that it crossed the moon’s orbit at the same time the moon passed by, allowing engineers to use the moon’s gravity to adjust the orbit. The location and timing of the Lunar fly-by also lowered the inclination of the orbit. On Wednesday, May 13, the HGS-1 satellite became the first commercial spacecraft to go around the moon. The spacecraft came within 3,883 mi.(6,290 km) of the lunar surface at 12:50pm PDT of that day. The spacecraft neared the Earth’s vicinity on May 16 and began a series of thruster burns to nudge the spacecraft into geosynchronous orbit. At the conclusion of the burns the satellite was in a 15-day orbit around Earth with an apogee of about 303,000 miles (488,000 km).

Encouraged by the precision of that mission, Hughes decided to perform a second lunar rendezvous to further improve the orbit. So on June 1, controllers nudged the satellite into position for a second lunar fly-by. It passed the moon again on June 6, at a distance of nearly 21,300 miles (34,300 km) from the surface, which was about 52 times farther than the initial lunar encounter. A small firing of the rocket motor June 11 reoriented the satellite for its final orbit around Earth. The second mission was completed on June 17 at 11:29 a.m. PDT, when the on-board motor was fired for 12 minutes, slowing the spacecraft into a geosynchronous orbit, stationed over the Pacific.

The HGS-1 lunar validated the viability of lunar gravity assist for future high earth orbit missions. Hughes Global Services, Inc received an award from Popular Science magazine for it’s successful salvage operation, it was selected the mission as one of 100 winners of its 1998 "Best of What’s New" awards.

Dr. Philip Varghese presented the last program before the summer break on Deep Space 1 (DS-1) on Wednesday, June 16, 1999. Launched on October 24, 1998 DS-1 is the first mission under NASA’s New Millennium Program. This program performs flight testing of new technology, rather than science. Science will be a secondary mission objective. The purpose of the New Millennium Program is to validate advanced, high-risk technologies in flight so that future space and Earth missions may take advantage of them. These new technologies will make future spacecraft smaller, cheaper, more reliable and more independent of human control. The technologies selected for the program are those that will reduce costs and risks, represent a significant advance, be able to be applied quickly to future missions, and represent a high risk to the first-time user.

The advanced technologies that were chosen for DS-1 are the Ka-Band Solid-State Power Amplifier, Small Deep Space Transponder, Low-Power Electronics, and the Plasma Experiment for Planetary Exploration (PEPE). Other DS-1 features include: Multifunctional Structure, Autonomous Navigation, Remote Agent, and the Power Activation and Switching Module. To validate these technologies, the flight was given the mission objective of flying by an asteroid designated 1992 KD. The asteroid is only 2 km in diameter and will represent a challenging target as it passes by DS-1 at 5 km/sec. During the encounter, the Remote Agent will use the autonomous optical navigation system to guide the spacecraft to within 10 km of the asteroid’s surface, making it the closest fly-by of a solar system body ever attempted. Just before the fly-by, the system will analyze approach images to determine if an even closer encounter is safe, and, if so, the systems will reduce the closest approach altitude to just 5 km.

Depending on how this encounter goes and the status of DS-1, fly-bys will be scheduled of the dying comet Wilson-Harrington on January 20, 2001 and the comet Borrelly on September 21, 2001. The comet fly-bys will complete the evaluation and validation of the integrated infrared/visible/ultraviolet and the plasma physics packages. However, all of the instruments will be collecting data on the near-Earth environment during the flight and the asteroid encounter.

Of the 12 advanced technologies on the spacecraft, seven have completed testing, including the ion propulsion system, solar array, communications, microelectronics and spacecraft structures. By the end of summer, engineers expect to have finished testing all 12 advanced technologies aboard the spacecraft.

The testing of the Remote Agent and the autonomous optical navigation system that make the DS-1 less reliant on humans is 75 percent complete. A combination camera/spectrometer and an instrument that studies electrically charged particles emitted by the Sun and other sources are also on schedule, having finished 75 percent of their tests.

When the ion propulsion system was first activated November 10, the engine shut itself off after 4-1/2 minutes, and engineers were unable to restart it later that day. During the next attempt two weeks later, however, the engine started up easily and has performed flawlessly since then, logging more than 1,300 hours of operation. It is believed that the problem was caused by a piece of grit stuck to high-voltage grids within the ion engine. The grit was later dislodged, when parts expanded and contracted as the ion engine was exposed alternately to sunlight and shade. It was also discovered that when stray light enters the camera/spectrometer, streaks of light are produced when pictures are taken with a long exposure. The streaks are a result of how the instrument was mounted on the spacecraft. The camera should be able to take acceptable pictures during the asteroid 1992 KD fly-by because it will use short exposures. Despite such glitches, the great majority of the advanced technologies have worked extremely well. DS-1 will continue testing technologies until its prime mission concludes.