Michael Braukus
Headquarters, Washington
(Phone: 202/358-1979)
Jonas Dino
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
(Phone: 650/604-5612)
An efficient, timely, revolutionary process, developed
by NASA, may help design the next generation of space
vehicles.
Engineers at NASA’s Ames Research Center, Moffett Field,
Calif., in collaboration with astronauts from NASA’s Johnson
Space Center, Houston, are using the Virtual Flight Rapid
Integration Test Environment (VF-RITE) to develop and
evaluate vehicle designs that may eventually ferry astronauts
to and from the International Space Station. The new process
quickly and efficiently incorporates virtual test-flight data
into the design process creating a continuous dialog between
test pilots and vehicle designers.
“The objective of the VF-RITE project is to produce systems
and infrastructure to facilitate the use of aerodynamic data
from CFD (computational fluid dynamics) technology in real-
time, piloted flight simulation,” said Julie Mikula, Vertical
Motion Simulator (VMS) lead. CFD uses high-speed computers to
solve basic equations to predict complex fluid flow patterns
across the surface of an object. “The flight simulation data
and input from the astronaut test pilots allow the design
team to apply ‘return knowledge’ to improve vehicle
performance,” she said.
The VF-RITE process begins with the development of a
mathematical model of the concept vehicle using the latest in
wind tunnel and CFD technologies. The mathematical model is
programmed into the extensive VMS vehicle database. The VMS
is one of NASA’s most capable vehicle simulators with 60 feet
of vertical and 40 feet of horizontal travel, giving pilots a
realistic sensation of gravity forces. Once the vehicle is in
the database, the design can be modified, based on input from
astronaut test pilots, engineers and designers.
“You literally can come up with any geometric change, press a
button and you are flying another version of the vehicle.
Press another button and you are flying the Space Shuttle or
any vehicle in the VMS database,” said Mikula. In the latest
round of testing, a tailless design was tested in efforts to
decrease weight and drag.
With VF-RITE, radically new designs, using the latest
materials, can be evaluated and refined. One design using
Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics (UHTCs) departs from the
traditional lifting body design of the Space Shuttle.
Developed at Ames, UHTCs are thinner, lighter and more
durable than current shuttle heat-resistant exterior tiles.
This new material can be used at the vehicle’s leading edges,
allowing for more aerodynamic and maneuverable designs.
For off-site researchers and managers, the VMS has a virtual
counterpart called the Virtual Laboratory (VLAB). The virtual
environment allows off-site participants access to all
displays in the VMS control room, the ability to interact
with the VMS crew and the test pilots in real time. In
addition to VMS displays, high-speed data links allow viewing
of the pilot’s actions and out-of-the-window displays, as
well as participation in videoconferences.
The VF-RITE is the fourth generation in the development of
the RITE process. Since 1999, nearly a dozen astronauts have
participated in the design process and have been impressed
with the capabilities of the VMS and the VF-RITE software.
“It is great to see the process they have instituted here, to
be able to change a vehicle’s specifications, quickly turn it
around and test the modifications,” said astronaut Barry
‘Butch’ Wilmore. “To involve the astronaut office early in
the design process is terrific. We are grateful we have the
time and opportunity to come here, make our inputs early and
be a part of the process,” he added.
Images and more information about VF-RITE and the Vertical
Motion Simulator are on the Internet at:
