NASA Strikes With
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The Shuttle is protected from lightning strikes with the help of an 80-foot fiberglass lightning mast atop the Fixed Service Structure that provides access to the orbiter. |
GAI Senior Systems Engineer Claude Ceccon said that GAI is contributing its expertise and resources to improve the location accuracy, small signal detection and flexibility of LDAR using modular designs. GAI plans to develop—and offer for commercial sale—one or more lightning locating systems based on the LDAR technology.
LDAR was originally designed by NASA to protect Kennedy Space Center equipment and Space Shuttle workers who are responsible for handling, processing, launching and recovering the Shuttle and its associated payloads. Lightning warnings are frequent during Kennedy's 75-thunderstorm annual average and work stoppages that can affect launch schedules.
NASA then developed its volumetric lightning mapping system to minimize unnecessary warnings with accurate warnings to maximize productivity without sacrificing safety. The existence and the volumetric extent of the lightning hazard are defined by data from Kennedy's center-wide, seven-antenna network, which detects very high-frequency radiation to map the extent of lightning. Projections of the lightning in near real time vary from one second to two minutes.
Research is also under way concerning future space-based lightning detection and the reporting of lightning flashes in real time. LDAR data can be used to verify the correct operations of those systems by providing valuable ground truth information. This capability will give weather forecasters the ability to more readily evaluate threats from lightning, thunderstorm intensity and growth, as well as storm dissipation throughout the United States.
For more information, contact Lewis Parrish at Kennedy Space Center.
Call: 407/867-6373, E-mail: ParriLM@kscgws00.ksc.nasa.gov
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NASA GRANTS HELP COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES A total of 20 minority universities and colleges have received grants from NASA's Office of Equal Opportunity Programs to encourage students to enroll in college mathematics, science, engineering and technology disciplines and to increase the number of certified teachers in these areas. Eleven universities received grants to collaborate with NASA and local school districts, to provide informal educational opportunities that will enhance the numbers and percentage of students enrolled in mathematics and science college preparatory courses. Precollege Awards for Excellence in Mathematics, Science, Engineering, and Technology (PACE/MSET) grants were awarded to California State University at Dominguez Hills, California State University at Northridge, the College of Santa Fe in New Mexico, Delaware State University, Jarvis Christian College in Texas, Lehman College in New York, New Mexico State University, Pasadena City College in California, Trenholm State Technical College in Alabama, Tuskegee University in Alabama and the University of Texas at Brownsville. Each PACE/MSET university will receive up to $100,000 per year for the three years of the grant, based on performance and the availability of funds under the program. Nine minority colleges received grants to develop teacher education and curricula integrating content from NASA missions. The results from these awards will serve as a model for other colleges and universities. It is hoped that the awards will help increase the numbers and percentage of state-certified mathematics, science, technology or geography teachers employed in "hard-to-staff" elementary, middle and secondary schools. The nine universities selected to receive a Minority University Mathematics, Science and Technology Awards for Teacher and Curriculum Enhancement Program (MASTAP) grant include Bowie State University in Maryland, California State University at Dominguez Hills, City University of New YorkMedgar Evers College, Florida International University, Heritage College in Washington State, Jackson State University in Mississippi, Mississippi Valley State University, South Carolina State University and Xavier University of Louisiana. Each MASTAP grant award recipient will receive up to $200,000 per year for the three years of the grant, based on performance and availability of funds under the program. For more
information, contact Sonja Alexander at NASA Headquarters.
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