Documente Academic
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Documente Cultură
March 2010
AEROSPACE AMERICA
MARCH 2010
Unmanned
and airborne
A NEW PLAN
Mr. Martin C. Faga Donald M. Kerr, Ph.D. Gen.Thomas S.Moorman,Jr. USAF (Ret.)
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Director Emeritus, Space Foundation
for Space and Director of the Force (Intelligence Space Technology) and Former Vice Chief of Staff,
National Reconnaissance Office, and Director of the National United States Air Force
1989-1993 Reconnaissance Office, 2005-2007
www.NationalSpaceSymposium.org
toc.MAR2010.qxd:AA Template 2/9/10 12:04 PM Page 1
March 2010
DEPARTMENTS
EDITORIAL 3
Space, safety—and risk.
INTERNATIONAL BEAT 4
Environmental regulations fly high and wide.
Page 8
WASHINGTON WATCH 8
Feeling the pinch and scaling back.
AIRCRAFT UPDATE 16
World tanker market: More than just KC-X. Page 12
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES 46
FEATURES Page 18
BULLETIN
AIAA Meeting Schedule B2
AIAA Courses and Training Program B4
AIAA News B5
Meeting Program B17
Calls for Papers B24
Page 38
COVER
The Phantom Ray is the latest of Boeing’s forays in the development of unmanned systems, a sector the company
believes will continue to grow. Read all about their plans in the story beginning on page 24.
Aerospace America (ISSN 0740-722X) is published monthly by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. at 1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, Va. 20191-4344 [703/264-7577].
Subscription rate is 50% of dues for AIAA members (and is not deductible therefrom). Nonmember subscription price: U.S. and Canada, $163, foreign, $200. Single copies $20 each.
Postmaster: Send address changes and subscription orders to address above, attention AIAA Customer Service, 703/264-7500. Periodical postage paid at Herndon, VA, and at additional
mailing offices. Copyright © 2010 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., all rights reserved. The name Aerospace America is registered by the AIAA in the U.S. Patent
and Trademark Office. 40,000 copies of this issue printed. This is Volume 48, No. 3.
10-0091_F
With changing goals and priorities in Washington, D.C., taking part in the
2010 AIAA Congressional Visits Day Program is more important than ever.
On Wednesday, March 17, AIAA members will share their passion about
aerospace issues on Capitol Hill.
Elaine J. Camhi
Editor-in-Chief
Patricia Jefferson
Associate Editor
Greg Wilson
Space, safety—and risk
Production Editor
Jerry Grey, Editor-at-Large The FY11 NASA budget request represents a sea change for the agency—not
Christine Williams, Editor AIAA Bulletin just in terms of missions but, at least for human space operations, in the way it
will bring those missions to fruition. It would bring the curtain down on the
Correspondents
Constellation program, the agency’s dominant program over the last five years.
Robert F. Dorr, Washington
Philip Butterworth-Hayes, Europe The new budget supports extending the lifetime of the international space
Michael Westlake, Hong Kong station beyond its current 2016 expiry out to at least 2020, funding programs
to increase station capabilities and enhance ground support. It also commits
Contributing Writers
funds to complete the space shuttle’s current manifest, even if it must be
Richard Aboulafia, James W. Canan,
Marco Cáceres, Edward Flinn, Tom stretched into another year.
Jones, Théo Pirard, David Rockwell, But the mission to return humans to the Moon and then travel onward to
Frank Sietzen, J.R. Wilson Mars would be cancelled, replaced by robotic precursor missions to varied des-
tinations in the solar system, followed by human exploration.
Fitzgerald Art & Design
Art Direction and Design Gone as well are Ares I and Ares V, meant to launch crew and cargo, re-
spectively, as well as the Orion crew vehicle. But what is more telling is what is
Craig Byl, Manufacturing and Distribution meant to take their place. Building upon the “successful progress in the devel-
David W. Thompson, President
opment of commercial cargo capabilities,” the budget authorizes the invest-
Robert S. Dickman, Publisher
ment of $6 billion over five years to “spur development of American commer-
STEERING COMMITTEE cial human spaceflight vehicles.”
Michael B. Bragg, University of Illinois; The passage of the president’s budget request is by no means certain, and
Philip Hattis, Draper Laboratory; Mark S. portions of the Constellation program such as the Orion, which has made con-
Maurice, AFOSR; Laura McGill, Raytheon; siderable progress, might be redirected and survive in some guise, but the na-
George Muellner, Boeing; Merri Sanchez,
tion’s future in space may well reside in the hands of commercial enterprise.
National Aeronautics and Space Administra-
tion; Mary Snitch, Lockheed Martin
Though they have often been partners with NASA, this new budget places the
reins in their hands.
EDITORIAL BOARD Many have argued since the decision was first reached to retire the space
Ned Allen, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics; shuttle that human-rating the Atlas and Delta EELVs, which have excellent
Jean-Michel Contant, EADS; Eugene safety records, was a viable, lower cost alternative to reinventing the rocket
Covert, Massachusetts Institute of Technol- yet again. It also would fall in line with the Augustine commission recommen-
ogy; L.S. “Skip” Fletcher, Texas A&M Uni- dations for a “flexible path” to space—albeit with lower funding.
versity; Michael Francis, United Technologies;
But determining exactly what the criteria are for human-rating a launch
Christian Mari, Teuchos; Cam Martin,
NASA Dryden; Don Richardson, Donrich
vehicle is no easy task. Some argue that the directives laid down by the Colum-
Research; Douglas Yazell, Honeywell bia Accident Investigation Board are so rigorous that building a new vehicle
under those strictures would be next to impossible.
ADVERTISING
Throughout the history of aviation in the U.S. there has always been the
National Display and Classified: drive for the next generation—trying new vehicle shapes, new engines, even
Robert Silverstein, 240.498.9674 new fuels. Each new drawing, each new prototype was an effort to get us
rsilverstein@AdSalesExperts.net where we want to go more safely, more quickly, and as inexpensively as possi-
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ble. Those criteria drove the development of a gamut of aircraft from the X-1
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to the X-51, from the flying boat to the 787.
Send materials to Craig Byl, AIAA, 1801 The pilots who sat in the cockpit of many of those experiments under-
Alexander Bell Drive, Suite 500, Reston, VA stood the risks they were taking—but were buoyed by the knowledge that some
20191-4344. Changes of address should be of the best minds in the nation were behind those aircraft. And so it went, and
sent to Customer Service at the same address, we did fly faster and further with each new effort. And though many were met
by e-mail at custserv@aiaa.org, or by fax at with failure, and some with tragedy, we learned lessons from each and contin-
703/264-7606.
ued forward.
Send Letters to the Editor to Elaine Camhi
at the same address or elainec@aiaa.org And so it should be now, with whatever the next launch vehicle turns out
to be, that we put safety first, but not so much so that it keeps us Earthbound.
March 2010, Vol. 48, No. 3 The brave men and women who are the pioneers of this new century deserve
nothing less—and, I believe, expect nothing more.
Elaine Camhi
Editor-in-Chief
BEATlayout310.qxd:AA Template 2/8/10 11:37 AM Page 2
Environmental regulations
fly high and wide
THE FAILURE OF THE COPENHAGEN UNITED These targets differed somewhat by the Kyoto UNFCCC meeting, held in
Nations Framework Convention on Cli- from limits agreed to by the International December 1997, which set binding tar-
mate Change (UNFCCC) in December Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the gets for 37 industrialized countries and
2009 to agree to global, binding targets Montreal-based U.N. global aviation reg- the European Union to reduce green-
for nations to lower their greenhouse gas ulator, at its High Level Meeting on In- house gas emissions by an average of
emissions has both good and bad impli- ternational Aviation and Climate Change 5% against 1990 levels over the five-
cations for the world’s aerospace indus- last October. Government delegates to year period 2008-2012. For environ-
try. But one immediate result will be a re-
evaluation of the way the industry will be
regulated on this issue in the future.
Environmental pressure groups had
been campaigning for conference dele-
gates to set a cap on aviation emissions
and introduce charges to airlines, based
on their emission performance, to fund
climate change management schemes in
developing countries. The final agree-
ment—which was not agreed to unan-
imously—committed developed countries
to generate $100 billion a year by 2020
for poorer nations, but there was no
mention of how aviation-generated emis-
sions should be treated.
Moving targets
The International Air Transport Associa-
tion (IATA), perhaps fearful of a new
wave of taxes and emission limits, wel-
comed the accord as “an important step
in the right direction for climate change.”
According to IATA, which represents the
world’s largest scheduled airlines: “Avia-
tion emissions were not addressed specifi-
cally in the accord, a reflection of the
proactive measures the industry has taken
to set challenging targets for itself, to-
gether with an aggressive strategy to
achieve them.”
IATA favors self-regulation, and be-
fore the conference had agreed with its
airport, manufacturing and air naviga- that meeting agreed that the civil avia- mental campaigners and some govern-
tion service provider partners on indus- tion industry will need to reduce its car- ments, one of the most important as-
try-wide targets to improve fuel efficiency bon footprint by 2% a year for the next pects of the Copenhagen meeting was
by an average of 1.5% per year to 2020, 10 years. However, there were no sanc- to deal with aviation emissions from
stabilize carbon emissions from 2020 tions or penalties outlined if these targets 2013, and the failure to do so has
with carbon-neutral growth and work to- were missed. opened up important questions on how
ward a net reduction in carbon emissions The challenge of managing aviation aviation emissions should be regulated in
of 50% by 2050 compared to 2005. emissions had been delegated to ICAO the future.
“With zero progress at Copenhagen U.S. from negotiations—or find a way to According to the European Business
we will continue to press for tough avia- bring everyone on board. ICAO doesn’t Aviation Association (EBAA), of the
tion emissions reduction target-setting to have the luxury of common but differen- 6,000 aircraft operators on the Euro-
be given to UNFCCC itself,” says Jeff tiated goals—all ICAO members are pean Commission list for ETS, around
Gazzard, board member of the Aviation equal.” 5,000 collectively account for less than
Environment Federation, a U.K.-based One possible outcome of this current 1% of total CO2 emissions. For opera-
environmental lobbying group. impasse will be for the global regulation tors of small aircraft, the cost of joining
“We simply cannot trust the global in- of environmental issues to be shared be- the scheme is prohibitively high—the
dustry-dominated politics at ICAO to de- tween ICAO and the UNFCCC, with the EBAA estimates it will cost a medium-
liver meaningful limits—we will strongly latter taking a more supervisory role. size European business aircraft operator
encourage the European Union’s 27 Without a global agreement, the next almost $100,000 in the first year of
member states to press hard for the EU few months will see the global aviation ETS. The threshold for joining the
aviation emissions trading scheme to industry continue to pursue different di- scheme is more than an average of 243
become the global model but with a rections. The most serious potential rift flights into and out of the EU over three
tougher cap, 100% auctioning of carbon involves the inclusion of aviation within consecutive four-month periods.
dioxide and inclusion of aviation’s non- the European Union’s ETS. EU repre- In December 2009, three U.S. air-
carbon dioxide impacts. We want the sentatives at the November ICAO meet- lines, American, Continental and United,
EU’s New Year resolution to be to de- ing wanted this ETS to be adopted on a and the U.S. Air Transport Association
velop mutual effective ETS [Emission global scale, but the ICAO Assembly in- (ATA) brought a case in the U.K. courts
Trading System] schemes with like- stead recommended it be adopted only challenging the inclusion of non-EU air-
minded states and blocs throughout as a voluntary measure. lines in the ETS. The case was pending
2010,” Gazzard says. at press time.
Environmental campaigners are now Cash or credit
targeting the next UNFCCC decision- Under the current timetable, beginning Sharing the pain
making meeting in Mexico City in No- January 1, 2012, all flights landing in or Aircraft operating companies are not the
vember 2010, rather than the ICAO as- departing from the EU will be covered by only aviation stakeholders who will be
sembly meeting in September, for the the ETS. Airlines will be given a free impacted by the EU ETS issue. “Our
appearance of new global regulations quota of carbon dioxide emission “cred- members are concerned about any new
capping aviation emissions. its”—but if they exceed this allowance regulation that would increase their costs
One outcome of the last ICAO meet- they will have to start buying more cred- and potentially make them less prof-
ing was that its contracting states would its from the market. Airlines have been itable,” notes Kevin Morris, environment
“evaluate the possibility of more ambi- obliged to provide precise data on their and sustainability manager for ADS, the
tious goals by the next ICAO assembly traffic and CO2 emissions rates since U.K.’s trade association of defense and
[2010], taking into consideration indus- January 1, 2010. aerospace manufacturing companies.
try’s collective commitments and the The quota is based on 97% of the “In this respect they are concerned
special needs of developing nations.” total average annual levels of CO2 emis- about the emissions trading scheme just
And this is where a key structural prob- sions measured as having been sourced as they are concerned about the other
lem in the current global environmental by aircraft operators between 2004 and carbon management schemes put in
regulatory system appears. 2006. This cap will be reduced to 95% place by the U.K. government, such as
at the start of 2013. Of the overall avail- the climate change agreement (CCA)
The regulatory conundrum able carbon credits, 85% will be allo- and carbon reduction commitment
“The UNFCCC works on an understand- cated on a free basis to aircraft opera- (CRC) schemes. This is because there is
ing of common but differentiated obliga- tors and the remainder auctioned off, a significant opportunity for double
tions—a device developed at Kyoto for with the proceeds directed to climate charging and money being removed
bridging developed and developing na- change measures in European member from the industry that could have been
tions,” says Andrew Charlton of the Ge- states. invested in new technology that would
neva-based aviation government affairs But the scheme is complex and, actually help reduce emissions.”
firm Aviation Advocacy. “In the Kyoto many aircraft operators argue, confus- Starting in April 2010, the CRC will
protocol a two-track system was devel- ing. Over the last 12 months aircraft op- be a U.K. mandatory carbon trading
oped that created positive obligations on erators have had to register their plans scheme that works in tandem with the
developed nations to achieve goals and with appropriate national authorities for EU ETS. The initial phase of the CRC is
aspirations for developing nations. One monitoring, reporting and verification of compulsory for organizations that con-
of the main issues in Copenhagen was CO2 emissions from their fleet. Different sumed over 6,000 MWh of half-hourly
whether to preserve the Kyoto arrange- countries set different deadlines for filing metered electricity during the period
ment—which would have excluded the these plans. from January to December 2008.
The aim is to reduce the level of car- come” according to Aviation Advocacy’s leadership now. If it does not come from
bon emissions currently produced by the Charlton. “The newly appointed Euro- ICAO, it will come from somewhere
larger “low-energy-intensive” organiza- pean Commissioners have made clear else. The clock is ticking.”
tions by about 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 their commitment to environmental is- Philip Butterworth-Hayes
per year by 2020 and a 60% reduction sues. They even acknowledge that it will Brighton, U.K.
in CO2 emissions (over 2008) by 2050. come at a price. There is a dire need for phayes@mistral.co.uk
In theory, where emissions have been
captured by the EU ETS and CCA, they
will not be captured by the CRC. In
essence, the CRC is targeted at low-
energy-intensive users.
Events Calendar
U.K. companies, like most EU manu- MARCH 6-13
facturers, have had CO2 emission reduc- 2010 IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, Montana.
tion plans in place for some time. But Contact: David Woerner, 818/726-8228
these efforts will have to be intensified MARCH 16-17
over the next few years to meet more Congressional Visits Day, Washington, D.C.
stringent national and international lim- 703/264-7500
its beyond the ETS. For example, in Jan-
uary 2008 the European Commission MARCH 22-24
released its Climate Action and Renew- Eighth U.S. Missile Defense Conference and Exhibit, Washington, D.C.
able Energy Package which, when it Contact: 703/264-7500
comes into operation in March 2011, MARCH 22-24
will include a measure to reduce CO2 Forty-fifth 3AF Symposium of Applied Aerodynamics, Marseilles,
emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by France
the year 2020. The ETS itself includes Contact: Anne Venables, secr.exec@aaaf.asso.fr
more stringent limits as time goes on,
with industrial enterprises increasingly
APRIL 12-15
having to bid for credits. The aluminum
Fifty-first AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics
sector will be included within the ETS
and Materials Conference; 18th AIAA/ASME/AHS Adaptive Structures
from 2013.
Conference; 12th AIAA Nondeterministic Approaches Conference;
“In one respect, the ETS may be
11th AIAA Gossamer Systems Forum; Sixth AIAA Multidisciplinary
seen as an opportunity for the aircraft
Design Optimization Specialist Conference. Orlando, Florida.
manufacturers, as to reduce the costs of
Contact: 703/264-7500
their emissions in the scheme will require APRIL 20-22
the airlines to invest in new aircraft,” says AIAA Infotech@Aerospace 2010, Atlanta, Georgia.
Morris. “However, those airlines need to Contact: 703/264-7500
make a profit before buying any new
APRIL 25-30
technology, and removing money from
SpaceOps 2010 Conference: Delivering on the Dream (hosted by
an industry when it is already in a precar-
NASA Marshall and organized by AIAA), Huntsville, Alabama.
ious state will have negative impacts as
Contact: 703/264-7500
well. The industry is collectively commit-
ted to a global sectoral emissions trading MAY 4-6
scheme as highlighted by ICCAIA, ACI ASTRO 2010—15th CASI Astronautics Conference, Toronto, Ontario,
and IATA in Copenhagen, as there is a Canada.
good deal of concern that national or re- Contact: G. Languedoc, 613/591-8787; www.casi.ca
gional schemes will only serve to distort MAY 11-12
the market.” Inside Aerospace—An International Forum for Aviation and Space Leaders,
The EU could still decide to extend Arlington, Virginia.
the ETS to imports into the continent Contact: 703/264-7500
from states that are not taking compara-
ble action to reduce greenhouse gas MAY 13-15
emissions—though this would probably Fifth Argentine Congress on Space Technology, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
trigger a series of court cases at the Contact: Pablo de Leon, 701/777-2369; Deleon@aate.org
World Trade Organization and other in- MAY 31-JUNE 2
ternational courts. Seventeenth St. Petersburg International Conference on Integrated
Navigation Systems, St. Petersburg, Russia.
✈✈✈ Contact: Prof. V. Peshekhonov, www.elektropribor.spb.ru
“There are many twists and turns to
“An
“A
An excellent way to get a solid A History of Two CIA Projects. Based
grounding in the complex and oon interviews, memoirs, and oral histories
challenging acquisition process.” of the scientists and engineers involved,
—Jacques S. Gansler, Ph.D., University aas well as recently declassified CIA
of Maryland, and former Under documents, and photographs, reports, and
d
Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, technical drawings from Lockheed and
te
Technology and Logistics Convair, this is a technical history of the
C
eevolution of the Lockheed A-12 Blackbird.
Management of Defense Acquisition
Projects FFrom RAINBOW to GUSTO: Stealth and
Rene G. Rendon and Keith F. Snider tthe Design of the Lockheed Blackbird
Naval Postgraduate School Paul A. Suhler
2008, 292 pages, Hardback, ISBN: 978-1-56347-950-2 2009, 300 pages, Paperback, 1SBN: 978-1-60086-712-5
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W
While the focus of this book is on ground “I urge all who are serious about
combat system vulnerability, many of the
co understanding the development of the
pprinciples, methodologies, and tools national security space arena to read it.”
discussed are also applicable to the air
d
—Roger D. Launius
aand sea system communities.
Smithsonian Institution
F
Fundamentals of Ground Combat
SSystem Ballistic Vulnerability/Lethality Shades of Gray: National Security and
P H. Deitz, Harry L. Reed Jr.,
Paul the Evolution of Space Reconnaissance
J. Terrence Klopcic, and L. Parker Temple III
James N. Walbert
Ja 2005, 554 pages, Hardback, ISBN: 978-1-56347-723-2
Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics, Vol. 230 List Price $29.95
2009, 384 pages, Hardback, ISBN: 978-1-60086-015-7 AIAA Member Price: $24.95
List Price $119.95
AIAA Member Price: $89.95
The Fundamentals of Aircraft Combat Survivability Analysis Effective Risk Management: Some Keys to Success, Second Edition
and Design, Second Edition Edmund H. Conrow, CMC, CPCM, PMP
Robert E. Ball, Naval Postgraduate School 2003, 554 pages, Hardback, ISBN: 978-1-56347-581-8
2003, 889 pages, Hardback, ISBN: 978-1-56347-582-5 List Price: $84.95
List Price: $104.95 AIAA Member Price: $64.95
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Approximate Methods for Weapon Aerodynamics
Mathematical Methods in Defense Analyses, Third Edition Frank G. Moore, Naval Surface Warfare Center
J. S. Przemieniecki, Air Force Institute of Technology Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics, Vol. 186
AIAA Education Series 2000, 464 pages, Hardback, ISBN: 978-1-56347-399-9
2000, 421 pages, Hardback, ISBN: 978-1-56347-397-5 List Price: $119.95
List Price: $104.95 AIAA Member Price: $89.95
AIAA Member Price: $79.95
IN FEBRUARY, THE NATION’S CAPITAL WAS year to debate the future of the ISS. U.S.
humming with debate about NASA’s funding for the space station had been
human spaceflight program after release due to expire at the end of FY15. In a
of the Obama administration’s FY11 worst-case scenario, that would require
budget request . deorbiting the ISS and destroying the re-
The NASA request would add $6 bil- sult of many years of work aimed at es-
lion over five years, far less than the tablishing a permanent presence in
amount recommended in the Augustine space. Obama’s budget request, how-
commission report on the future of hu- ever, calls for station funding to continue
man spaceflight. The administration has through 2020.
been focusing on deficit reduction, even ESA boss Jean-Jacques Dordain said
though polls show Americans favor gov- in a January statement that participating
ernment spending as a source of em- nations will have to decide the future of
ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain
ployment in today’s jobless economy. the space station together—a rebuff to
The plan would kill the Constellation the idea that the U.S. can decide unilat-
program, including the Ares I and Ares opment of American commercial human erally—and that future planning requires
V launch vehicles and, while allotting spaceflight vehicles.” the U.S. human spaceflight policy to be
R&D funds for future heavy-lift develop- In January, the New York Times has clearly defined.
ment, transport of astronauts to the ISS quoted NASA Aministrator Charles “The decision must be made early
after retirement of the shuttle would fall Bolden, speaking in Israel, as saying, enough to put the budget in place, to
to commercial ventures. The additional “What NASA will focus on is facilitating build the hardware necessary and to de-
$6 billion will be used to “spur the devel- the success of—I like to use the term ‘en- cide on which transportation policy we
trepreneurial interests.’” shall use between 2015 and 2020,” said
Robotic precursor missions would be Dordain. “There are a lot of aspects to
sent to the Moon, Mars, and various as- be discussed, and if decisions are not
teroids and Lagrange points to scout tar- made by the end of this year [or the] be-
gets for future manned activities . ginning of next year, it will become more
Critics on Capitol Hill are uncomfor- and more difficult to have the approach
table with what they call the “outsourc- under which we will exploit the space
ing” of human spaceflight, and the can- station.”
cellation of a program that has already Dordain acknowledged that meas-
cost billions of dillars. ures can be taken to make ISS opera-
Last year a blue-ribbon panel headed tions more economical. He questioned
by former aerospace executive Norman whether participating nations need four
Augustine concluded that NASA would control centers, and whether six astro-
need an increase of $3 billion to sustain nauts must staff the station, arguing that
the human spaceflight program (known during some periods a smaller crew
as the “vision”) that it has been pursuing. might suffice.
“That kind of money was never going to
be there,” says a NASA insider, citing
growing concern over this year’s $1.42-
trillion federal deficit. Space enthusiasts
The Ares I-X rocket was a test platform fear the public is no longer inspired by
in the Constellation program that was journeys beyond the atmosphere. Social
canceled in the administration’s critics question whether a debt-burdened
budget request.
federal government should finance any
space program at all.
In Washington and in the capitals of
other participating nations, experts are The budget commits additional funding to extend
preparing to meet in Japan later this the lifetime of the ISS to at least 2020.
size of Afghanistan, but kept only one in lyst Richard Aboulafia noted (see “Air-
Afghanistan until recently. craft industry rides out the recession…so
Notorious for its lofty mountain ele- far,” January, page 21), the rotary-wing
vations and scattered special operations market grew by 30.1% in 2009. This
outposts, Afghanistan has always needed year, growth could reach 40%. The
—and tested—military helicopters. Dur- FY10 defense appropriations law de-
ing the period June to September, the voted $3.34 billion to the largest recent
country experiences harsh atmospheric increase in U.S. military helicopters: The
winds that create high clouds of dust Obama administration got its request for
amidst very hot temperatures. Only the $1.26 billion for 79 Black Hawks, $882
twin-tandem Chinook has consistently million for 27 Chinooks, and $326 mil-
coped with “high and hot” conditions in lion for 54 remarkably economical UH-
the Hindu Kush. 72 Lakota light utility helicopters.
At the start of this year, the Army Still, Pentagon staff officers are talk-
had two CABs in Afghanistan, one each ing about an Army “helicopter shortage”
from the 3rd Infantry and 82nd Airborne The Army canceled the RQ-8B because of limits similar to the “fighter gap” being pre-
Divisions. At press time, the CAB of the on funding for aviation. dicted in the Air Force and Navy. The
4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) was service hopes to compensate, in part,
departing Fort Hood, Texas, to join around and deploy again. At least two with unmanned aerial systems.
them. The 159th CAB, associated with other CABs are expected in Afghanistan That will not include the RQ-8B Fire
the 101st Airborne Division, completed by late autumn. Scout unmanned minihelicopter, which
a one-year stint last December but was An upsurge in the need for military only six years ago was touted as a key
expected almost immediately to turn helicopters is a boon to industry. As ana- component of the Future Combat Sys-
operations, space resources and plane- expanding this NEO target set is early
tary protection. and sustained funding for the next-gener-
These benefits all stem from one ation search systems. NASA should step
practical characteristic of a small but spe- forward to provide this, given its mission
cial group of NEOs: their accessibility. A requirements, but DOD, NSF and inter-
small fraction of NEOs circle the Sun in national support should also help. The
Earth-like orbits. Of this “attractive” more NEOs we discover, the larger the
group, with orbital inclinations, eccen- number of opportunities for reaching
tricities and semimajor axes close to them with robotic and human explorers.
Earth’s, nearly 60 known NEOs would NASA’s Constellation program, in
have been within the reach of the Orion studying NEO missions in 2007, found
crew exploration vehicle. More than half that with minor modifications the Orion
of those could be reached for a round- spacecraft can support crews on deep
trip delta-V less than that of a lunar space missions lasting up to six months.
round trip (about 9 km/sec). Any system NEOs a few hundred meters across have
sized to reach lunar orbit or the Earth- almost no surface gravity, so Orion mis-
Sun gravitational Lagrange points can sions would not require development of
also reach a set of the best-situated a separate, expensive lander. For a crew Astronauts using EVA jetpacks could visit NEOs
NEOs. NASA has already identified a of just two or three, astronaut comfort and collect samples of regolith.
few Orion can reach in a single heavy-lift and safety could be improved by adding
launch. With cancellation of the Constel- a small (perhaps inflatable) habitation prime “docking” sites on the low-gravity
lation program, however, they remain module, including an airlock. NASA has surface. Using EVA jetpacks, or piloting
beyond our grasp. also considered adding more propellant Orion to a physical touchdown, astro-
The list of these accessible objects will capacity to Orion’s service module, nauts will collect tens of kilograms of the
only grow as new search capabilities be- which would expand the target set of ac- NEO regolith. They’ll not only sample
come operational (such as PanSTARRS cessible NEOs. the surface but also probe crater floors
and LSST; see http://pan-starrs.ifa. and snoop under the bulk of nearly
hawaii.edu/public/; http://www.lsst.org/ Are NEOs worth visiting? weightless boulders.
lsst). Thousands of new asteroids will be Previous robotic touchdowns by the As in Apollo, crews will emplace in-
found in the coming decade. NEAR-Shoemaker and Hayabusa space- struments such as tracking transponders,
The key long-lead-time capability for craft demonstrate that NEOs represent a active seismometers and heat transfer
strange and varied zoo of probes. An Orion-mounted radar might
solar system relics whose probe the asteroid’s internal structure
materials have been unal- (Itokawa’s interior turned out to be 40%
tered for more than 4.5 empty space). Measuring such physical
billion years. Some will be properties will be essential to devising
loosely bound piles of frag- engineering methods for deflecting fu-
mented rubble; some, solid ture Earth impactors.
chunks of iron and nickel. NEO explorers will also experiment
Some will be of uniform with resource extraction technologies,
composition; others, like demonstrating practical recovery of as-
Itokawa with its sprinkling teroidal water, volatiles and rare metals.
of very dark boulders, dis- These technologies are the key to mov-
play dramatic signs of sur- ing space exploration from total logisti-
face heterogeneity. Each cal dependence on Earth to harnessing
NEO, with its own story of off-planet raw materials for propellant
formation, collision and or- and industrial feedstock.
bital evolution, represents We are just beginning to learn about
a surprise package of un- NEOs up close, and are bound to be sur-
tapped knowledge. prised by the results of robotic and hu-
After rendezvous, as- man expeditions. By exploring NEOs,
tronaut field geologists will we will immediately add an independent,
Asteroid 2010 AL30, discovered by MIT’s Lincoln Laboratories
survey the object while sta- third “planetary” surface to our ongoing
LINEAR survey on Jan. 10, 2010, came within 125,000 km of
Earth on Jan. 13. JPL says the NEO was about 10-15 m across. tionkeeping. Initial remote lunar research and expanding investiga-
(JPL image.) sensing will pinpoint a few tion of Mars.
Learning the ropes several potential NEO destinations. bulence during the decade or more re-
for deep space exploration While the new Orion spacecraft and quired for execution.
Deep space operations experience heavy-lift launcher are tested, first in
is one of the most valuable benefits of LEO and then in lunar orbit, engineers NEOs: An offer we can’t refuse
venturing well beyond the Moon. Multi- will prove life support and crew health The public understands today that pro-
month NEO expeditions will stress all systems on the ISS. These incremental tecting Earth from a future NEO catas-
areas of mission operations. Designers trophe is a worthy mission for NASA.
will have to produce reliable, fault-tol- Proving technologies and gathering in-
erant systems for life support, computing formation to head off an Earth impact,
and communications. Millions of kilo- via robotic and human NEO exploration,
meters from Earth, the communications gives the agency’s efforts in deep space a
lag will force a high degree of commonsense foundation. When those
on-board autonomy and decision- efforts take the form of astronauts
making. Mission planning and drifting across the rocky surface of a
vehicle control specialists must NEO under a gleaming, BB-sized
conduct intense exploration cam- Earth 5 million miles distant, our
paigns while maintaining situa- imaginations will be fully engaged.
tional awareness and safety. With the White House’s direc-
By taking on these challenges tion to NASA just released, we
at NEOs, we will be better able to cannot yet gauge the prominence
explore the Moon, build a thriving NEOs have taken in the agency’s
space economy and confidently revised exploration charter. But I
send astronauts to Mars. believe we should seize the opportu-
nity to include these science- and re-
Outward momentum source-rich objects in our plans. NEOs
Since the close of Apollo, our progress will reinforce the scientific, economic
in human exploration has been incre- and technical strengths of the U.S. hu-
mental. The shuttle and space station man exploration program. We would
have been effective classrooms in space, Formed almost 212 million years ago by a NEO reap the benefits of synergistic scientific
teaching us how to live and work there impact, the 100-km-wide Manicouagan Reservoir return from a “new” planetary surface,
with confidence. To what purpose do we is located in a heavily timbered area of the substantially different in origin, age and
Canadian Shield in Quebec. Astronauts aboard
apply our hard-won education? composition from those of the Moon or
STS-9 took this photo in 1983.
The 2004 Vision for Space Explo- Mars. Explorers would also assay NEO
ration, stripped of funding, has yet to efforts will give policymakers a cumula- resources potentially vital to future U.S.
propel us outward. Sending astronauts tive record of milestones, building mo- economic activity in space.
to NEOs will be an unmistakable com- mentum toward a commitment to true In coming decades, the global com-
mitment to long-term, ambitious explo- deep space expeditions. munity will certainly face a decision to
ration. Reaching and returning from The timing of our beyond-LEO ef- deflect a hazardous NEO. Impact pre-
these ancient landscapes will demand forts will clearly be budget driven. If the vention is a fundamental, “know your
the best talents of NASA’s exploration, Augustine commission recommendation enemy” mission, and a commonsense
operations and scientific organizations. for a space budget worthy of a great na- rationale for NEO exploration. Grappling
Our choices are excellence or failure; tion is realized, we could be ready for with these objects at a distance, before
“muddling through” will not be a suc- NEO missions even before 2020. Be- we are faced with such a threat, will pro-
cessful strategy. NASA will have to scour tween now and then, NASA will have to vide us the operations experience and
the government and nation for the accumulate the public, congressional and civil engineering data needed for a suc-
young engineers and scientists driven to executive support needed to make its cessful future deflection.
break new ground in human and ma- first trans-NEO injection burn. Finally, in the event that policymak-
chine performance. One element of creating that support ers defer a U.S. return to the Moon,
Political momentum will be as impor- is international cooperation. Although it NEOs provide NASA with a challenging
tant as technical progress if out-of-LEO might add political and technical com- exploration alternative. Less expensive
exploration is to succeed. NASA will plexity, some of our ISS partners could to reach than the lunar surface, NEOs
have to deliver highly visible technical provide a NEO campaign with propul- will nevertheless stretch our capabilities
and programmatic results on a scale sion modules, habitation systems, EVA and set the U.S. on an ambitious and re-
suited to our short political attention mobility systems and scientific hardware. warding course of unapologetic human
spans. A NEO exploration program will Buttressed by these international com- exploration. Tom Jones
start with robotic precursors surveying mitments, a NEO exploration program Skywalking1@gmail.com
the varied compositions and structure of would be less vulnerable to political tur- www.AstronautTomJones.com
www.aiaa.org/MyStory
www.aiaa.org/MyStory
A broader requirement
Until 2001, the pool of customers will-
ing to spend cash on Western new-build
jet tankers was limited to one customer.
While many countries maintained some
kind of air-to-air refueling capability,
Saudi Arabia was the only one that had
actually purchased them new (in the
form of eight 707s built as KE-3s). Even
the RAF, the biggest tanker user outside
the U.S., used Lockheed L-1011s origi-
nally operated by Pan Am and British KC-767
Airways, and Vickers VC-10s formerly The KC-X decision may be driven as much by political considerations as by technical and economic ones.
operated by British Airways, BOAC and
East African Airways. All the other users
either also operated converted used jet- had gone only to Canada and Germany. deep-pocketed launch customer to spon-
liners or KC-135s previously owned by The KC-30 was a more ambitious effort: sor them.
the USAF. France, for example, uses the a larger, more capable jet with a robust The only other new-build product in
KC-135R (the reengined type predomi- cargo and tanker capability, offered as a this class is Russia’s Ilyushin Il-78. About
nant in the USAF); Turkey and Singa- new-build product. In particular, the com- 34 of these are in service throughout the
pore have received them as well. Other pany moved beyond hose-and-drogue air world, with about half in Russia and the
countries used turboprop tankers, most refueling technology, developing its own rest in India, in China and with other ex-
notably Lockheed Martin’s KC-130. boom under the Advanced Refueling port customers. It is much heavier, less
In 2001, the Italian air force signed Boom System. reliable, less capable and more expen-
on for the first new-generation, new- This more aggressive approach to sive to operate than the two Western
build tanker, Boeing’s KC-767. This pur- the market has been rewarded, with four products, but it is cheap to buy. As such,
chase of four aircraft was followed by a more countries joining the new-build jet it represents a competitive threat in mar-
Japanese purchase of four planes later tanker market. In 2005 the RAF chose it kets such as India that are focused on
that year. Thus the pool of new-build jet to replace its aging converted jetliners low up-front prices.
tanker customers tripled in one year. under a private finance initiative pro- The only other product on the draw-
However, this promising start found- gram. Australia has also ordered five KC- ing board is Embraer’s KC-390, a tacti-
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION MAKES THINGS not really understand—not from lab ex- pops up in nuclear fusion chambers
explode. It operates anywhere magnetic periments or from simulations,” says (tokamaks) on Earth. It is the ultimate
fields pervade space—which is to say al- Melvyn Goldstein, chief of the Geospace driver of space weather, impacting hu-
most everywhere. On the Sun, magnetic Physics Laboratory at NASA Goddard. man technologies such as communica-
reconnection causes solar flares as pow- NASA is going to launch a mission to tions, navigation and power grids.
erful as a billion atomic bombs. In Earth’s try to get to the bottom of the mystery, MMS will seek to solve the mystery
atmosphere, it fuels magnetic storms and through the Magnetospheric MultiScale of the small-scale physics of reconnec-
auroras. In laboratories, it can cause big or MMS mission. MMS consists of four tion. It will also investigate how the en-
problems in fusion reactors. identical satellites that will fly in a tetrahe- ergy conversion that occurs during the
However, scientists cannot explain it. dron formation through Earth’s magne- process accelerates particles to high en-
The basics are clear enough. Mag- tosphere to discover how magnetic re- ergies, and what role plasma turbulence
netic lines of force cross, cancel and re- connection works. plays in reconnection events.
connect, and an explosion results. Mag- When magnetic fields become tan-
netic energy is unleashed in the form of gled, as they often do in the magneto- A natural laboratory
heat and charged-particle kinetic energy. sphere, they can merge, which creates These processes—magnetic reconnec-
Researchers are trying to understand an explosive release of energy whereby tion, particle acceleration and turbu-
why the simple act of crisscrossing mag- magnetic energy is converted directly lence—occur in all astrophysical plasma
netic field lines triggers such a ferocious into heat and charged-particle kinetic systems but can be studied in situ only in
explosion. “Something very interesting energy. Magnetic reconnection sparks our solar system, and most efficiently
and fundamental is going on that we do solar flares and powers auroras; it even only in Earth’s magnetosphere, where
they control the dynamics of the geo-
The Sun unleashed a powerful flare on November 4, 2003, that could be the most powerful ever space environment and play an impor-
witnessed and probably as strong as anything detected since satellites were able to record these tant role in phenomena known as space
events in the mid-1970s. It was captured by instruments aboard the SOHO satellite. weather.
The MMS science investigation is
called SMART—solving magnetospheric
acceleration, reconnection and turbu-
lence. Principal investigator James L.
Burch of Southwest Research Institute
(SwRI) in San Antonio will head the
SMART team, comprising a group of re-
searchers from several U.S. and foreign
institutions.
The mission passed its preliminary
design review in May 2009 and was ap-
proved for implementation the following
month. Engineers can now start building
the spacecraft.
“Earth’s magnetosphere is a wonder-
ful natural laboratory for studying recon-
nection,” Burch points out. “It is big and
roomy, and reconnection is taking place
there almost nonstop.”
In its outer layer, where Earth’s mag-
netic field meets the solar wind, recon-
nection events create temporary mag-
netic “portals” connecting the Earth to
the Sun. Inside the magnetosphere, in a
long drawn-out structure called the mag-
netotail, reconnection propels high-en-
DARPA HAS A LONG HISTORY OF INNOVA- program manager Thomas Bussing. phases to run about two years each,
tion and technology breakthroughs in- The idea was to extract more useful compared to an anticipated 18 months
volving speed. Many of the platforms work from the engine by replicating the for each of the original phases.
and engines it has designed have pushed Humphrey cycle, characterized by CVC.
the limits on how quickly and efficiently Traditional jet and auto engines operate Shooting for subhypersonic
an aircraft or missile can fly through the on a less efficient constant pressure cy- For the aerospace engine, the Vulcan
atmosphere or into space. cle called the Brayton cycle. While only program focuses on the subhypersonic
The agency has focused considerable minor improvements are possible for speed realm, both to avoid the inclusion
attention on hypersonic research, which Brayton cycle engines, “a Humphrey or of a scramjet and because of the numer-
involves speeds above Mach 5. But in pulse detonation CVC cycle offers a ous potential applications to strike and
2009, DARPA also began looking at novel way to achieve game-changing reconnaissance vehicles operating at
prospects for creating an engine capable performance improvements,” Bussing speeds between Mach 2 and Mach 4.9.
of accelerating a full-scale hypersonic says. This is why Vulcan is seen as offer- “It also could serve as the accelerator
vehicle from rest to Mach 4+. A key goal ing significant improvements for a vari- for a hypersonic system, but we didn’t
of the new program—called Vulcan—was ety of power applications. want the contractors to design systems
to accomplish this without developing a “Phase I was high Mach, successful; with scramjets, which would be more
new Mach 4+ turbine engine, instead us- Phase II is still CVC technology, but now complicated,” Bussing points out. “How-
ing an existing full-scale production the application is a marine power tur- ever, if we solve the first, we set the
Mach 2+ turbine with only minimal bine that also can be applicable to avia- stage for the second. By itself, Vulcan is
modifications. tion and high-Mach engines. So we are an intermediate step that would open
When the first of its four planned starting off from a different corner of the the way for a whole new class of vehicles
phases ended, however, the program box, but with a very compelling business not available today, both manned and
was significantly modified. While still case,” Bussing tells Aerospace America. unmanned.”
working toward a high-Mach aerospace “We combined Phases III and IV into one Vulcan builds on a variety of previous
engine, Vulcan will now also focus on us- because we were integrating the tech- efforts, including multicombustor pulsed-
detonation engine demonstrators and
other work showing it is possible to burn
By mandating the use of existing production engines and liquid hydrocarbon and air directly at low
total pressures. By mandating the use of
reducing the top speed requirement, Vulcan development existing production engines and reducing
should be both less costly and faster. the top speed requirement, Vulcan de-
velopment should be both less costly and
faster.
ing the same hybrid concept for a ship- nologies earlier. The only difference is “The CVC would operate below the
based system to provide increased en- these are smaller, 3-5-MW turbines upper Mach level of the turbine, which
ergy and efficiency for naval power rather than the 25-MW machines we would be off-the-shelf, such as the [Pratt
generation applications. originally planned; the smaller turbine & Whitney] F100-229 and F119 or
As a result, the final two phases were has greater applicability to the fleet. [General Electric] F110-129 and F414,
merged, with a goal of transitioning an “The initial application for hybrid en- which are currently used in F-18s and F-
aerospace engine to the Air Force at the gines is the same for both the Air Force 22s. The idea then is to use the CVC cy-
end of Phase II and a shipborne system and Navy, but the aviation engine is cle to get from where the turbine leaves
to the Navy at the end of Phase III. much more complicated. We picked the off to Mach 4+ and cocoon the turbine
Vulcan Phase I looked at a com- naval engine because they are much when not in use, so it is not exposed to
bined-cycle propulsion system architec- more common in the industrial world as the high-temperature airflow,” Bussing
ture, integrating separate constant vol- well as the Navy. With a huge commer- says. “There are different architectures
ume combustion (CVC) engines and cial tail, that gave us a better opportunity for doing that, but I can’t give specific
full-scale turbine engines for high-Mach to get industry co-investment, getting it details, because the program is classified.
military aircraft. Possible CVC architec- into the Navy’s hands much sooner and But there has to be a mechanism to
tures included pulsed-detonation en- more cheaply than had there been no close off the airflow and to keep temper-
gines, continuous-detonation engines commercial tail.” atures inside the cocoon low.
and other unsteady CVC engine archi- The overall program length remains “The idea is to build a Mach 4 en-
tectures, according to DARPA Vulcan roughly the same, with the final two gine for less than it would cost to build a
Mach 6 turbine, as well as to demon- tankers could save as much as $270 mil- at new enabling technologies for the mil-
strate the CVC technology. We believe lion a year. And a CVC-powered missile itary and ensuring the U.S. is not caught
that this technology will outperform any could be built using low-cost automotive by surprise, as it was by the Soviet
high-Mach turbine you could potentially manufacturing tolerances, yet have a Union’s launch of the first satellite, Sput-
envision.” 50% performance increase over a ram- nik, in the 1950s, which led directly to
jet missile. the creation of DARPA.
Naval applications In the commercial world, replacing “DARPA’s role is to demonstrate the
This approach also significantly expands current powerplants with a pulsed-deto- impossible; the services’ responsibility is
potential applications, which led to a re- nation engine could mean $500,000 a to then take Tier Level 6 technology,
structuring of the program to address year in operations savings on Boeing mature it and implement it into the
smaller power systems for ships, as well 757 jetliners and $1.4 million for the fleet,” says Bussing.
as a variety of commercial applications. larger Boeing 777. With some 87,000 Technology Readiness Level 6 is
The main nonnuclear propulsion sys- gas turbine engines currently powering near the end of a nine-level scale from
tem in the Navy fleet today is the
LM2500. Used on 129 ships, those en-
gines burn an estimated $2 billion in fuel “Many of the combustion processes we use today potentially
each year. According to DARPA, retro-
could benefit from an unsteady combustion process, which is a
fitting only half the 434 LM2500 en-
gines in the fleet with CVC technology paradigm shift from how you burn fuel and air.” — Thomas Bussing
could save the Navy $300 million-$400
million a year.
As added advantages, a Vulcan-style commercial aircraft—including 35,000 TRL 1—basic principles observed and re-
hybrid engine would have significantly large gas turbines—the impact of conver- ported—to TRL 9—actual system “flight
increased endurance and a reduced in- sion on U.S. airlines alone is estimated proven” through successful mission op-
frared signature, an important defensive at $2.8 billion. erations. At TRL 6, a model or proto-
feature. type is successfully demonstrated in a rel-
Spaceflight possibilities evant operating environment.
Potential pluses The Vulcan engine concept also has pos- “At the end of Phase II, the proof of
“You could replace combustors in con- sible applications to spaceflight, both technology will be demonstrated to TRL
ventional gas turbines and see a 20%- manned and unmanned. 6 and transitioned to the Air Force for
plus fuel burn efficiency in ground appli- “It has been looked at as a first-stage potential application to their improved
cations. Subsonic jet engines could apply accelerator, coupled with a ramjet that efficiency turbine development pro-
it with a 10% fuel burn gain. It also could would get you to Mach 6+, then a sec- gram,” Bussing continues. “At the end of
be used in powerplants and many other ond stage to orbit. In fact, this technology Phase III, it transitions to the Navy. The
applications,” Bussing says. “Many of also applies directly to rocket propulsion, Navy wants to increase both offensive
the combustion processes we use today which involves different cycles from low and defensive systems that require more
potentially could benefit from an un- thrust to high,” Bussing says. power, so they may want bigger engines;
steady combustion process, which is a “From Earth to Moon, low thrust is but either way, they will be CVC-based.
paradigm shift from how you burn fuel required, but for anything getting into or- “The goal of Phase III is basically a
and air. bit, pulsed-detonation rockets would be TRL 6 demonstration of a fully inte-
“We have been focusing on improve- good replacements for current chemical grated hybrid engine that is 20% more
ments in performance, but there are propulsion. It also could be used for efficient than existing power turbines,
other things the process enables. You spacecraft attitude control—if you can operating for 500 hr in the same vol-
could take advantage of the detonation precisely pulse the microthrusters, it is a ume and dimensional footprint as exist-
wave and use it to remove ash from coal better mode for controlling attitude and ing engines. So you have a retrofit to ex-
furnace heat exchangers or produce ce- uses less fuel, in addition to just operat- isting 3-MW turbines or new 4-MW
ramic materials and drive them into sub- ing more efficiently.” turbines that are backwards compatible
strates. There are applications in non- DARPA and the U.S. are not alone to existing ship engines. The Navy will
lethal effects devices, mine-clearing and in pursuing this level of high-speed flight need to do a business case by the end of
other new and unique possibilities using capability. Bussing cites known projects Phase II on whether to do a retrofit or
this cycle.” under way in France, Russia, Japan, an all-new engine.”
If applied to existing military and China, Sweden, Germany, Poland and For the aerospace side, a primary
commercial aircraft, the cost savings in Singapore, for example. end-goal for Vulcan would be full-scale
fuel alone would be significant, accord- hypersonic cruise vehicles for strike, in-
ing to DARPA program office estimates. Hard—and DARPA-hard telligence, surveillance, reconnaissance,
A 10% fuel efficiency improvement us- The decision to build a high-Mach avia- or other critical national missions.
ing a CVC hybrid engine replacement tion application, Bussing notes, is in line “A Mach 4 aircraft would be a lot
on the Air Force’s fleet of 543 KC-135 with DARPA’s traditional role of looking lower technology effort than a Mach 6.
It is about half the thermal load, so tem- CVC component integration and dura-
peratures in the vehicle are much lower bility testing; and turbine and compres-
and wouldn’t require the exotic materials sor rig testing with a full-scale CVC sim-
a Mach 6 would need. That makes the ulator. Phase III will focus on the
aircraft relatively straightforward,” says development, design and testing of a
AIAA Bussing.
“The only thing operating at Mach 4
complete Vulcan engine.
“The desire at the end of Phase III, at
FORMS today is a ramjet, and I would expect to
see a 20% fuel burn improvement with
a minimum, is to demonstrate a complete
Vulcan engine with the fully integrated
Vulcan. Ramjets operate at M 2.5+ and CVC module and validate durability, op-
NEW EARTH don’t perform as well as CVC or pulsed- erability, capability and performance at
detonation engines. CVC also can oper- various turbine engine power settings,”
OBSERVATION ate at much lower speeds, including sub- according to the January BAA.
sonic. One critical factor is getting “We have added a CVC turbine and
TASK FORCE through the transonic pinch point; this
technology would enable that.”
CVC compressor test, so it is more inte-
grated than Phase I, where the turbine
All this is not to say there are no sig- and CVC could be separate. But in
AIAA has created a new nificant “DARPA-hard” hurdles to over- Phase II, we basically are effectively re-
come. Those include designing an effi- placing the combustors in the phase tur-
task force to assist in the cient air valve for the respective engine, bine with CVC combustors,” Bussing
formulation of a national fuel injection and detonation initiation adds. “The program is designed to move
road map for the U.S. to systems, efficient nozzles to handle ex- step by step through the technologies re-
pansion of the gases—which have to be quired to make this work, retiring all
address investments in the brought together at the back end in a risks and minimizing costs by doing just
Earth-observing industry unique way—and materials. Despite what is required.”
to adequately inform future temperatures lower than those gener- Because of its higher complexity, get-
climate change debates ated by a Mach 6 vehicle, it is still im- ting the Air Force version of Vulcan to a
portant to minimize the thermal load production program and initial operating
and decisions. Composed generated to simplify the thermal man- capability could take another decade.
of leading experts on policy agement system. “It could be done faster if there is a
and climate-monitoring “Ideally, I would like to design it with change in national priority, of course, as
minimal or no cooling,” Bussing notes. was the case in building the SR-71,”
technology from within Bussing says, referring to the long-
AIAA and in collaboration Phased approach range, high-altitude Mach 3 reconnais-
with other organizations, Phase I, which ran from April through sance aircraft fast-tracked after an Amer-
September 2009, involved a system ican U-2 spy plane was shot down over
the task force is developing concept definition by four contractors— the Soviet Union in 1959.
a strategy to come up with Alliant TechSystems, General Electric, “So if future leadership decides to
recommendations to help Rolls-Royce and United Technologies. It move in that direction full-scale, this en-
ended with a conceptual design review gine is the biggest enabler for Mach 6+,
reach this goal. (CDR) by each contractor that, according which is basically a flying engine. For
to DARPA, generated several interesting Mach 4 applications, it’s not quite that
For more information, turbine/CVC architectures that appear dynamic; the aircraft would look more
viable for building a full-scale high-Mach traditional, like the SR-71 or high-Mach
contact Craig Day engine incorporating an off-the-shelf tur- F-22.”
at 703.264.3849 bine and a CVC. With its wide range of potential appli-
Following the CDRs, DARPA began cations, from powerplants to spacecraft,
or craigd@aiaa.org. work on a new broad area announce- Vulcan is the quintessential DARPA pro-
ment (BAA) incorporating the changes gram, combining existing capabilities
Bussing detailed. That BAA was released with new technology to achieve previ-
in mid-January 2010, with industry re- ously unattainable goals across multiple
sponses due by the middle of this month. missions, military and civilian.
Under the new structure, Phase II “If we can solve this technology,”
will involve component demonstration Bussing concludes, “I truly believe we are
and risk reduction—retiring all the tech- on the precipice of enabling a whole new
nology risks identified in Phase I (at both class of systems not available today.”
component and subcomponent levels) J.R. Wilson
required to build the engine—full-scale Contributing writer
(Continued from page 17) opposed. This would imply either a split
Unfortunately for Airbus, dominance buy, or an endless series of protests and
of the global tanker market has not program delays.
translated into a lasting victory in the If the KC-767 were to win KC-X, it
only truly noteworthy competition: the would change the battle for tanker ex-
USAF’s KC-X. While the KC-30 was se- ports. A USAF endorsement would be
lected as the winning contender for this extremely valuable in pursuing the re-
179-aircraft competition (as the KC-45), maining undecided customers. It would
Creation of the KC-135 helped usher in decades
the victory was overturned following a of U.S. jetliner industry dominance.
allow Boeing to reassure customers that
successful Boeing protest. they had improved the original product,
The new KC-X draft RFP is intended shifted. The KC-45 production plans and would imply a steady stream of fu-
to increase transparency, aiming to re- largely involve congressional districts ture upgrades. It would also create a
dress a concern expressed about the pre- that are Republican, while the KC-767’s broader global training and support
vious RFP’s somewhat opaque scoring largely affect Democratic districts. With base, which would certainly be appealing
system. However, Northrop Grumman Democrats currently in control, any po- to export customers. The KC-767 would
has claimed that the new RFP achieves litical leverage brought to bear in this effectively be back in the export game.
this transparency through an excessive contest will favor the Boeing airplane. If the KC-767 wins the competition,
emphasis on costs, resulting in what it Even if Northrop Grumman does bid, it the KC-30 can be regarded as a success-
has termed a “price shootout.” This will likely face an uphill battle. And if it ful European platform that had the good
means, according to the company, that does not bid, Congress will be less likely fortune to enter the world market before
the KC-767, which is a less capable but to oppose a contract awarded to a single the U.S. military endorsed a locally built
less expensive airplane, would have a bidder with a Democratic industrial and competitor. But it would almost certainly
strong advantage under the new scoring labor footprint. Of course, given these lose its tight grip on the export tanker
system. As a result, the company has partisan political dynamics, it is possible market. Richard Aboulafia
threatened not to bid on KC-X. that ongoing deadlock keeps either side Teal Group
Meanwhile, the political winds have from walking away with the contract un- raboulafia@tealgroup.com
Unmanned
and airborne
A NEW PLAN
The Phantom Ray is under development as the follow-on vehicle for the J-UCAS program.
24 AEROSPACE AMERICA/MARCH 2010 Copyright© 2010 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
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B
oeing and the companies it has ac- Those included most of the military’s ad-
quired—McDonnell Douglas, North vanced aircraft—the F-15 Eagle, E-3 AWACS,
American Rockwell, and Hughes, for B-1B Lancer, F/A-18 Hornet, CH-47 Chi-
example—were responsible for many of the nook, AH-64 Apache, V-22 Osprey, AV-8B
most advanced military and commercial air- Harrier, C-17 Globemaster III, KC-135 Stra-
craft of the 20th century. totanker, KC-10 tanker—and more than two-
thirds of the world’s commercial airliners,
from the 707 to the 787 and the DC-8 to the
MD-11, as well as the space shuttle.
But by the mid-1990s, after the merger
with McDonnell Douglas, Boeing’s domina-
tion of military aircraft began to wane. The
only two new fighter aircraft prime contracts—
the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II Joint
Strike Fighter—went to Lockheed Martin, new
helicopter contracts to Bell and Sikorsky, and
a still-disputed new tanker initially to a North-
rop Grumman-EADS team. Plans for a new
bomber, presidential helicopter, and a combat
aircraft were canceled or indefinitely delayed.
In decades past, the ebbs and tides of mil-
itary aviation were balanced by commercial
contracts. But the trifecta of post-September
11 declines in air travel, a splintering of the
global economy, and wildly fluctuating—
though often record-high—oil prices led to air-
line bankruptcies, cutbacks, and new order de-
lays or cancellations.
Space programs provided little help, as
Boeing’s role in a stalled U.S. human space-
flight program was dramatically reduced and
the competition for satellite launches grew al-
most daily.
Although still one of the three largest
aerospace companies in the world—along with
Lockheed Martin and EADS, which, despite
some contract wins, also face a greatly re-
duced market demand—Boeing began a hard
reassessment of its markets and product lines,
and of how and where it might regain its his-
torically strong position.
One major element of Boeing’s approach
appears to be a new and full-blown commit-
ment to one of the fastest growing markets in
military aviation—and, potentially, major new
civilian markets to come: unmanned aerial ve-
hicles (UAVs) and the ground and satellite sys-
tems supporting them, typically combined un- by J.R. Wilson
der the title unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Contributing writer
ISR in
today’s
Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
technologies are growing more and more
vital to U.S.campaigns in Afghanistan,
war:
Iraq and other potential trouble spots.
Advanced instruments and new aircraft,
including UAVs, are enabling warfighters
to see farther, respond faster and strike
with greater precision than ever before.
U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan are relying ever terrain. ISR also makes it possible to distin-
more heavily on intelligence, surveillance and guish and isolate enemy combatants from
reconnaissance (ISR) to thwart and defeat Tal- civilian bystanders and attack them selectively.
iban and Al Qaeda insurgents. ISR operations Selective targeting has become all the
are at the core of the U.S. counterinsurgency more important in light of the restrictive rules
strategy for stabilizing the country and making of engagement that Gen. Stanley McChrys-
it inhospitable to terrorists, and will strongly tal, the top commander of U.S. and coalition
influence whether that strategy ultimately suc- forces, promulgated for his troops in 2009.
ceeds or fails. Those rules are aimed at eliminating or
This viewpoint is widely shared by Penta- greatly reducing civilian casualties from air
gon officers and other officials with connec- strikes and ground fire, and thus at precluding
tions to the military campaign in Afghanistan. postattack backlash reactions among the
As they see it, ISR is the essential means of lo- Afghan populace.
by James W. Canan cating, identifying, tracking and targeting ad- ISR is also seen as the first line of defense
Contributing writer versaries around the clock and in all kinds of for U.S. and allied ground troops against
30 AEROSPACE AMERICA/MARCH 2010 Copyright© 2010 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
CANANlayout310 .qxd:AAFEATURE-layout.Template 2/8/10 11:18 AM Page 3
A closer look
An MQ-1 Predator, armed with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, flies a combat mission over southern Afghanistan. (USAF photo/Lt. Col. Leslie Pratt.)
deadly roadside bombs. The troops rely on aircraft shot down by shoulder-fired infrared
timely information from ISR aircraft and missiles that the U.S. supplied the Afghan
other sources to detect insurgents in the act fighters of that era. Perhaps more to the
of emplacing those improvised explosive de- point, military analysts note, the Soviets lacked
vices (IEDs). The IED threat is expected to the sophisticated counterinsurgency strategy
worsen as the Obama administration’s de- of today’s U.S. forces and the air and space
ployment of 30,000 additional troops to surveillance and reconnaissance assets that
Afghanistan gains momentum in the coming make that strategy viable.
months. This will make ISR an increasingly ur-
gent priority, officials say. Renewed emphasis
Those who believe that the U.S. and its Late last year, well in advance of President
allies are unlikely to prevail in Afghanistan of- Obama’s decision to send 30,000 more U.S.
ten cite the failure of Soviet forces there troops to Afghanistan, the Pentagon began
through the 1980s. But those forces suffered concentrating on stepping up its deployment
heavy losses of helicopters and other combat and use of ISR assets there. Defense Secre-
tary Robert Gates noted in demanded,” Deptula declares. “We may never
mid-November 2009 that fulfill the demand, but we are getting better
“we’re pushing a lot into the and better at defining the [ISR] requirements
theater…we’re moving as and then matching them with our present ca-
fast as we can. The Air Force pabilities. We are also beginning to look out to
has significantly expanded its the future and wed technology advancements
[ISR] capability, and we in- with emerging needs.”
IEDs like these collected in tend to keep expanding it.”
Baghdad are an ever-increasing Gates explained that the ISR expansion Advanced capabilities
threat to ground troops in would involve not only airborne platforms Deptula observes that the advanced technolo-
Afghanistan. such as manned MC-12 Liberty aircraft and gies of today’s aircraft, bombs, missiles, sen-
unmanned MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reap- sors and communications enable the Air
ers, but also ground stations and their person- Force to strike any target rapidly and pre-
nel, notably linguists and intelligence analysts. cisely, anywhere on Earth, around the clock
At the same time, Gates formed a multiservice and in all kinds of weather. Now, he says, the
ISR task force and set about reprogramming biggest challenge for the Air Force lies not in
$1.2 billion from other DOD projects to help finishing off targets, but in finding and pin-
pay for the escalation of ISR. pointing them by means of ISR.
The secretary had been pressing the Air It took only a few minutes of flight time
Force to deploy more UAVs for ISR in the Af- for two USAF F-16 strike fighters to deliver
ghanistan/Pakistan theater. Air Force officials the bombs that killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi,
insist that the service had been building up its the head of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, but 6,000 prior
ISR assets and overhead intelligence-gather- hours of Predator UAV flight time to track
ing capability all along, and that it is moving him and finally fix his position for the kill,
more Predators and Reapers into the theater Deptula notes. Those Predator hours are a
as fast as it can. classic example of “persistent ISR,” he says.
Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force chief of UAVs are uniquely capable of persistent
staff, and Michael Donley, secretary of the Air ISR “in their ability to stay in position or ma-
Force, made ISR a blue-ribbon priority for the neuver over large areas for a long period of
USAF. Schwartz observes that a major key to time—and that’s where a person in an aircraft
making a smaller Air Force even more effec- becomes a limitation,” Deptula explains. UAVs
tive is “persistent and pervasive ISR,” along “can operate in dangerous environments and
with the precise air strikes that it fosters. can either watch or strike and…conduct unde-
In accentuating ISR, the Air Force ap- tected operations and penetrations,” he says.
pointed Lt. Gen. David Deptula, a veteran Pentagon officials cite many examples of
fighter pilot, wing commander and planner, to persistent ISR in Iraq that, they claim, demon-
the newly created post of deputy chief of staff strate its vital importance in so-called irregular
for ISR. The service also unveiled its first-ever warfare against roving insurgents. ISR was the
comprehensive ISR strategy, made sweeping essence of Task Force ODIN (observe, detect,
changes in how it trains and uses operators of identify and neutralize), an aviation unit cre-
UAVs (which it prefers to call remotely piloted ated during the Iraq war expressly to counter
aircraft) and other ISR platforms, and set about and check the rising toll from roadside bombs.
improving its ISR capabilities across the board. Military sources claim that ODIN, taking
“The more ISR we provide, the more is advantage of more numerous and increasingly
capable ISR assets, resulted in the capture or Saving the day again and again
killing of more than 3,000 insurgents and a ISR is credited with saving the day in Af-
dramatic decrease in the number of coalition ghanistan on innumerable occasions. In one,
forces killed or wounded by IEDs. ODIN forces a Predator spotted a substantial force of Tal-
flew Warrior Alpha UAVs equipped with elec- iban fighters moving into position to attack
trooptical and infrared sensors or with syn- the U.S. air base at Kandahar, and notified
thetic aperture radar, along with laser target the combined air operations center. The cen-
markers, laser rangefinders and missiles, to ter quickly transferred control of the drone
detect and destroy IED emplacers. from Creech AFB in Nevada back to its
ISR may be more challenging in the irreg- launch-and-recovery crew near Kandahar.
ular warfare of Afghanistan than it was in That crew contacted the Joint Terminal At-
Iraq, officials say. It must detect and track not tack Controller (JTAC), who
only the tactical formations of enemy fighters guided Apache attack heli-
and the movements of individual IED emplac- copters to the scene. The
ers, for example, but also the foot traffic of Apaches destroyed much of
roving Al-Qaeda insurgents inside the country the Taliban force and pre-
and across the mountainous 1,500-mi. Af- vented its planned attack on
ghanistan-Pakistan border, which is not con- the air base.
ducive to infantry reconnaissance patrols. In another operation, a
To accomplish ISR all across the Afghan- Predator discovered a small
istan/Pakistan theater, U.S. and allied forces band of insurgents emplacing
rely most heavily on manned and unmanned a roadside bomb and commu-
aircraft equipped with cameras, radars and in- nicated their position to the Task Force ODIN forces flew
frared sensors. Those ISR platforms have di- JTAC, who relayed it to an airborne B-1 Warrior Alpha UAVs equipped
rect communications links with rapid-reaction bomber. The bomber attacked the insurgents, with electrooptical and infrared
sensors or with synthetic aperture
special forces on the ground, and with heli- three of whom ran from the blast. The Preda- radar, along with laser target
copters, artillery, strike fighters and unmanned tor tracked them, saw one drop by the way- markers, laser rangefinders and
aircraft armed with air-to-ground missiles. side, and attacked the other two with its Hell- missiles.
Schwartz notes that the surveillance and fire missile. One was killed; the other rolled
targeting provided by the UAVs make strike into a ditch. The Predator coordinated again
aircraft and other types much more effective. with the JTAC, who guided an A-10 close-sup-
“A UAV may tip a gunship, or tell a rescue port aircraft to the scene to finish the job. The
helicopter crew where their pickup needs to Predator loitered overhead “for a long period
occur, [and] these are the kinds of things that of time,” to make sure that no Taliban fighter
are happening all the time,” he says. escaped, says an Air Force source.
Deptula cites yet another successful oper- on enemy combatants. “The issue is where
ation in Afghanistan as an example of the and what we want to strike,” Deptula
timely and seamless distribution of communi- explains. “We might want to achieve a non-
cations in ISR at its best: The automated sig- kinetic outcome.”
nals intelligence (SIGINT) suite in a high-alti-
tude U-2 intercepted Taliban communications Integration and analysis
traffic and automatically transmitted it to ISR practitioners emphasize that networks of
Beale AFB, Calif. Traffic analysts there de- sensors are required to provide timely and
duced considerable Taliban activity around comprehensive coverage, and that sensors
Kandahar and immediately called the U-2 pi- operating singly are not usually adequate to
lot back and told him what was happening. the task. This, they say, is why U.S. and coali-
The pilot then alerted the U.S. JTAC on the tion forces in Afghanistan require a wholly in-
ground, who relayed it to an Army combat tegrated ISR architecture that embodies the
unit in the vicinity, enabling that unit to thwart full range of ISR assets (including space sys-
a Taliban ambush in the making. tems) and is capable of fulfilling diverse com-
The distribution of communications in bat requirements.
that operation “took less Sensors on ISR aircraft
Information gathered than two minutes,” and ex- include infrared imagers and
by high-flying U-2s is sent emplified the seamless na- cameras that provide air
to analysis centers,
processed and returned ture of ISR, Deptula says. and ground commanders
to the theater. He notes that an Army unit with still photos or full-mo-
may take its cue from data tion videos. Rapid correla-
collected by a U-2 to request tion and distribution of im-
a follow-up video feed from a agery is vital. Daniel Leaf, a
UAV, and then take action. Northrop Grumman vice
The unit may also direct the UAV to point out president and former three-star general in
the target to a manned bomber, “and all this charge of Air Force requirements, observes
may have been planned in a forward operat- that information gathered by ISR platforms
ing post with imagery collected from a Global represents “wasted effort if we can’t get it to
Hawk the day before.” the warfighters in usable form” via communi-
The Air Force ISR boss points out that cations networks.
ISR enables air and ground forces to distin- This is why the Air Force created its so-
guish among potential targets in order to called “distributed common ground system” of
avoid killing and wounding civilians while firing ISR analysis centers in Korea, Germany, Ha-
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38 AEROSPACE AMERICA/MARCH 2010 Copyright© 2010 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Hayeslayout310.qxd:AAFEATURE-layout.Template 2/8/10 12:01 PM Page 3
The acoustic challenge will have to be met by any open rotor design going forward.
enablers of the technology,” Ingling says. The team is currently designing and test-
For the past two years GE has been re- ing a classic airfoil design to a certain level of
viewing the data from the 1980s, talking to performance and will then be “looking at an
the technicians and engineers involved in ear- enhanced design to see how the goal of a
lier UDF studies and seeing what improve- Stage III tradeoff with performance can be
ments could be made with current testing tech- made,” says Ingling.
nology. “We have focused on how much more “The speed at which the aircraft cruises
Snecma is heading up SAGE work acoustic benefit we could get using modern will have major implications for the design,” he
on the direct-drive open rotor tools—especially in areas such as predicting says. “As a company we are putting a great
concept engine.
outcomes of new aerodynamic designs,” says deal of investment into the program, but we
Ingling. “In the 1980s there was a lot of trial have to be selective about where that invest-
and error. We’ve taken some of the data from ment goes.
the old rigs, run new aerodynamic designs, “I am extremely encouraged on the
and launched additional analysis in areas such acoustic side that we will get to where we
as aerodynamic testing, aeroperformance, and need to be—but at some stage we will have to
acoustics. The new advanced codes tell us that look at how we are going to trade overall en-
for the same acoustic signature, we could re- gine efficiency against acoustics. Will the
cover overall engine performance.” noise issue be more important than green-
With the first-generation UDF, according house gas emissions, for example? Should we
to Ingling, GE engineers had to sacrifice some customize performance or trade it against en-
of the engine’s overall performance capabili- vironmental improvements? Many of these is-
ties to meet the Stage III noise requirements. sues will depend on what certification stan-
dards are employed. At the moment it’s too
Wind tunnel testing early to determine how much we should look
In the next stage of research, GE Aviation and at trading noise improvements with fuel burn
NASA have been working together on a wind performance,” Ingling says.
tunnel test program to evaluate counterrotat-
ing fan-blade systems. The research phase be- Other efforts toward the goal
gan in 2009 and is continuing into 2010. The The goal is to have a certified engine in pro-
team has built a one-fifth subscale model com- duction, providing double-digit performance
prising two rows of counterrotating fan enhancements over contemporary turbofans,
blades, with 12 blades in the front row and 10 by the end of the next decade.
in the back. They are being tested in simulated GE and Snecma will feed new technolo-
flight conditions in NASA Glenn’s low-speed gies into the open rotor research from the
wind tunnel to simulate low-altitude aircraft Leap X research program as they become
speeds for acoustic evaluation, and in Glenn’s available. GE is redesigning the CFM-56 core
high-speed wind tunnel to simulate high-alti- to provide around 7% of the targeted 16%
tude cruise conditions. fuel consumption improvement for the new
engine; Snecma’s work on the CFM Leap X
program is focused on developing new 1.8-m-
diam blades manufactured through a 3D resin
Building on the past transfer molding process.
General Electric developed its GE36 unducted fan (UDF) featuring an aft-mounted, Snecma’s understanding of open rotor
open rotor fan system with two rows of counterrotating composite fan blades during fan-blade design will be enhanced through its
the mid-1980s. It was a joint development with NASA and Snecma, GE’s French partner work on the €40-million DREAM (validation
in the Snecma consortium that had a 35% stake in the program. of radical engine architecture systems) pro-
The core was based on a GE F404 military turbofan. Exhaust gases were
gram, a three-year research project led by
discharged through a seven-stage low-pressure (LP) turbine; each stator ring was
designed to move freely in the opposite direction to that of the rotors. One set of fan Rolls-Royce and funded half by European in-
blades was connected to the LP turbine rotor system and the other set to the contra- dustry and half by the European Commission.
rotating LP turbine stators—effectively creating a 14-stage LP turbine system. During the past year one-fifth-scale and one-
The GE36 flew on the Boeing 727 and MD-80 aircraft and enabled speeds of seventh-scale blade testing has taken place at
around Mach 0.75. Although specific fuel consumption improvements of around 30% Russia’s Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute,
better than contemporary jet aircraft were measured, there were extensive noise and on electrically powered rigs at speeds of up to
vibration issues—though the engine met Stage III noise limits, according to company
Mach 0.85.
officials.
An alternative UDF test program in the mid-1980s was pioneered by Allison and The DREAM work is also part of a wider
Pratt & Whitney. The 578-DX propfan featured a more conventional reduction gearbox European research initiative into next-genera-
between the LP turbine and the propfan blades and was also flight tested on an MD-80. tion engines called the Sustainable and Green
Engine Integrated Technology Demonstrator
(SAGE ITD), a component of the €1.6-billion for strategic marketing at Rolls-Royce. Early
Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative research wind tunnel tests have shown its design would
program. SAGE researchers will develop two comfortably meet current Stage IV noise reg-
types of open rotor demonstrator engines. ulations. Tests were finished earlier this year
Rolls-Royce is heading up work on a at the DNW wind tunnel in the Netherlands,
geared open rotor demonstrator, in a €111- using a one-sixth-scale electrically driven ro-
million program involving Rolls-Royce ITP, tor to simulate low-speed operations, includ-
Deutschland, Volvo Aero, Airbus, and Alenia. ing takeoffs and landings. “We ran different
The research will focus on the propeller pitch configurations and different numbers of
mechanism, the donor core gas turbine, the blades at different blade speeds—we finally
transmission system that transfers energy discovered the optimal configuration for low-
from the free power turbine to the contraro- noise open rotor operations,” says Nuttall.
tating assemblies, and the contrarotating pro- The model is now undergoing high-speed
pellers themselves. tests at the Bedford (U.K.) Aircraft Research
Snecma is heading up SAGE work on the Association transonic wind tunnel. “We first
direct-drive open rotor concept engine. This ran these tests at the end of 2008 and spent
€135-million program involves Hispano- the first quarter of 2009 understanding the re-
Suiza, Techspace Aero, Aircelle, AVIO, Volvo sults,” says Nuttall. “We’re still being very cau-
Aero, Airbus, and Alenia Macchi, with work tious with our claims but we think that, in
focused on the propeller pitch change mecha- terms of economic performance, our open
nism, the contrarotating propellers, the con- rotor engine will perform 25% to 30% better
trarotating turbine directly linked to the pro- than current turbofans.”
pellers, and the gas generator. Rolls-Royce has yet to firm up on a core
Rolls-Royce, meanwhile, has already un- design. “We have a number of options in this
dertaken high- and low-speed tests of various area,” says Nuttall, “and we now have an in-
configurations of its own propriety technology ternal competition between our two-shaft
research program and has dedicated a new center of excellence in Dahlewitz [Germany]
testing regime, which it calls “Rig 145,” to de- and our three-core center of excellence in
tailed open rotor concept validation. Derby, U.K.”
“We have now moved open rotor work Nuttall believes there are five key tech-
from the theoretical physics to the engineer- nology risks that must be addressed—the
ing stage,” says Robert Nuttall, vice president gearbox, pitch change mechanism, blades,
Raymer…implies that design involves far more than drawing a pretty shape
and then shoe-horning people, engines, and structural members into it. It
involves art. Raymer’s book covers not only aerodynamics, stability, and
stress analysis…but also the interstitial stuff about general arrangement
and the interplay of competing design considerations that are really the
grout that holds a design together.
—Peter Garrison, from Flying Magazine
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OOPlayout310.qxd:AA Template 2/8/10 11:33 AM Page 2
March 8 The 60th and last Thor IRBM missile supplied to Britain is flown to the March 25 The hypersonic X-15
U.K. from the Douglas plant in Santa Monica, Calif., in a USAF Military Air rocket research aircraft achieves
Transport C-124 Globemaster. Flight, March 18, 1960, pp. 359-360. powered flight, piloted by NASA’s
Joseph A. Walker to 48,630 ft and
March 11 The 90-lb Pioneer V space probe is 1,320 mph. D. Jenkins, X-15, p. 611.
launched into a solar orbit around the Sun by a
Thor-Able 4. The spherical probe, featuring solar cells March 28 Clustered
and four paddle-like vanes, measures radiation and engines of the Saturn
magnetic fields between Earth and Venus. On its closest launch vehicle are fired
approach, the probe comes within 74.7 million mi. for the first time. In
of the Sun. Flight, March 18, 1960, p. 358; The this first test, two H-1
Aeroplane, March 18, 1960, p. 331. engines in an eight-
engine cluster are fired.
March 15 The Saturn launch vehicle project is officially transferred from the In further tests on April
Army Ballistic Missile Agency, headquartered at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., to NASA. 6, four of the engines
Consequently, the rocket’s development team, led by Wernher von Braun, is also are fired together, then
moved to NASA and assigned to the Marshall Space Flight Center, adjacent to all eight. A maximum
Redstone Arsenal. E. Emme, ed., Astronautics and Aeronautics 1915-60, p. 120. thrust of 1.3 million lb
is reached when the clustered engines
March 15 Russian plans for sending spacecraft to Venus and Mars are approved are fired on May 17. D. Baker,
by Mstislav V. Keldysh, vice president of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. Spaceflight and Rocketry, pp. 100-101.
D. Baker, Spaceflight and Rocketry, p. 100.
75 Years Ago, March 1935
March 15 The 43rd Bomb Wing at Carswell AFB,
near Fort Worth, Texas, becomes the first USAF March 7 John Tranum, the world’s
unit activated with the Convair B-58B Hustler most famous parachutist, dies in a
44 AEROSPACE AMERICA/MARCH 2010
OOPlayout310.qxd:AA Template 2/8/10 11:33 AM Page 3
An Aerospace Chronology
by Frank H. Winter, Ret.
and Robert van der Linden
National Air and Space Museum
March 8 Three Dornier Wal flying boats of the Royal Dutch Navy under the
command of Cmdr. W.H. Tepenburg arrive in Manila from the Netherlands East
Indies, the first Dutch aircraft to be seen in the Philippines. Although Tepenburg
announces that this is a goodwill flight, it is actually a mission to explore the
possibility of air service from Batavia to Manila. This service is not begun. E. Santos,
Trails in Philippine Skies, pp. 183-184; The Aeroplane, March 27, 1935, p. 365.
Danish army plane over Copenhagen March 9 Hermann Goering announces the existence of the
when his oxygen equipment malfunc- German air force to Ward Price, correspondent of the London
tions. He was attempting a parachute Daily Mail. This implies the unilateral breaking of the Treaty
drop from 25,000 ft. Danish-born of Versailles clauses that prohibit a German air force.
Tranum emigrated to California, E. Emme, ed., Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1915-60, p. 32.
where was a movie stunt man. In the
late 1920s he went to England and March 14 The Percival Gull aircraft is demonstrated for the first time at
demonstrated Russell parachutes and Gravesend, England. The low-wing cantilever monoplane cruises at 152 mph
Irving Air Chutes. His longest drop with three people, 75 lb of luggage and enough fuel for 600 mi. Top speed is
took place in May 1933, when he 172 mph. It lands at 43 mph with flaps down. The designer, Edgar Percival,
jumped from a plane at 21,000 ft demonstrates the plane to a private party. The Aeroplane, March 20, 1935, p. 328.
over Salisbury Plain. He dropped
more than 17,000 ft, claimed as a March 22 Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei, a new Zeppelin company, is formed with
world’s record. Tranum scientifically Hermann Goering as president. Since Goering is Germany’s air minister, the firm
checked his parachute results with a will come under close government supervision. Zeppelin pioneer Hugo Eckner is
stopwatch and aneroid barometer president of the company’s board of control. The firm is to develop transoceanic
and turned over the results to the Zeppelin services over the North and South Atlantic. The Aeroplane, March 27,
U.S. Army Air Corps. The Aeroplane, 1935, p. 366.
March 13, 1935, p. 290.
March 28 Robert H. Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket equipped
March 8 Robert H. with gyroscopic controls. The nearly 15-ft-tall rocket reaches 4,800 ft at an
Goddard launches average speed of 550 mph at Roswell, N.M. German experimenter Alfred Maul
one of his liquid- was the first to use a gyroscope in a rocket for stabilization, although the rocket
propellant rockets was propelled by solid-fuel gunpowder. His experiments, in about 1912, were for
from Roswell, the purpose of developing military reconnaissance rockets that would carry
N.M. He tests cameras for photographing terrain from high altitudes. E. Goddard and G. Pendray,
an equalizer to eds., The Papers of Robert H. Goddard; E. Emme, ed., Aeronautics and Astronautics
prevent liquid 1915-60; W. Ley, Rockets, Missiles, and Space Travel (1958 ed.).
oxygen tank pressure
from exceeding gasoline 100 Years Ago, March 1910
pressure. The rocket is also equipped
with a pendulum stabilizer and a 10-ft March 8 Baroness de Laroche of France is
recovery parachute. It reaches an the first woman to receive a pilot’s license.
altitude of 1,000 ft and lands 11,000 C. Gibbs-Smith, Aviation, p. 158; Flight,
ft from the tower. In a letter written Oct. 30, 1909, p. 695.
a few days later Goddard remarks,
“We had the best flight we have ever March 10 Night flights are made for the first time by Emil Aubrun of France,
had during the entire research. The who makes two such trips of 20 km each on a Blériot to and from Villalugano, a
streamlined rocket traveled nearly suburb of Buenos Aires, Argentina. C. Gibbs-Smith,
700 mph and…showed the first real Aviation, p. 152.
indication of the rocket directing it-
self. It was very impressive. It looked March 28 Henri Fabre achieves the first flight in
like a meteor passing across the sky.” a seaplane, a Gnome-powered floatplane, at
E. Goddard and G. Pendray, eds., The Martigues, near Marseilles, France. C. Gibbs-Smith,
Papers of Robert H. Goddard. Aviation, p. 153.
AEROSPACE AMERICA/MARCH 2010 45
AA_MAR2010_COPP.qxd:Layout 1 2/8/10 1:06 PM Page 2
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09-0395_1_10
AIAABulletin MARCH 2010
AIAA Meeting Schedule B2
AIAA Courses & Training B4
Program Schedule
AIAA News B5
AIAA Publications B16
AIAA Meeting Program B17
40th AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference and Exhibit
10th AIAA/ASME Joint Thermophysics and Heat
Transfer Conference
27th AIAA Aerodynamic Measurement Technology
and Ground Testing Conference
28th AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Conference
41st AIAA Plasmadynamics and Lasers Conference
5th AIAA Flow Control Conference
AIAA Directory
AIAA HEADQUARTERS AIAA Western Office To join AIAA; to submit address changes, mem-
1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Suite 500 999 North Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 440 ber inquiries, or renewals; to request journal
Reston, VA 20191-4344 El Segundo, CA 90245 fulfillment; or to register for an AIAA conference.
www.aiaa.org 800/683-AIAA or 310/726-5000 Customer Service: 800/639-AIAA†
310/726-5004 FAX
Other Important Numbers: Aerospace America / Greg Wilson, ext. 7596* • AIAA Bulletin / Christine Williams, * Also accessible via Internet.
Use the formula first name
ext. 7575* • AIAA Foundation / Dave Quackenbush, ext. 7514*, Suzanne Musgrave, ext. 7518* • Book Sales / last initial@aiaa.org. Example:
800/682-AIAA or 703/661-1595, Dept. 415 • Corporate Members / Merrie Scott, ext. 7530* • International megans@aiaa.org.
† U.S. only. International callers
Affairs / Megan Scheidt, ext. 3842*; Emily Springer, ext. 7533* • Editorial, Books / Heather Brennan, ext. 7568* •
should use 703/264-7500.
Editorial, Technical Journals / Amanda Maguire, ext. 7507* • Education / Lisa Bacon, ext. 7527* • Exhibits /
Cecilia Capece, ext. 7570* • Honors and Awards / Carol Stewart, ext. 7623* • Proceedings / 800/682-AIAA or Addresses for Technical
703/661-1595, Dept. 415 • Professional Development / Patricia Carr, ext. 7523* • Public Policy / Steve Howell, Committees and Section Chairs
ext. 7625* • Section Activities / Chris Jessee, ext. 3848* • Standards, Domestic / Michele Ringrose, ext. 7515* • can be found on the AIAA Web
Standards, International / Erin Kahn, ext. 7645* • Student Programs / Karen Thomas, ext. 7520* • Technical site at http://www.aiaa.org.
Committees / Betty Guillie, ext. 7573*
We are frequently asked how to submit articles about section events, member awards, and other special interest items in the AIAA Bulletin. Please contact
the staff liaison listed above with Section, Committee, Honors and Awards, Event, or Education information. They will review and forward the information to
the AIAA Bulletin Editor.
DATE MEETING LOCATION CALL FOR ABSTRACT
(Issue of AIAA Bulletin in PAPERS DEADLINE
which program appears) (Bulletin in
which Call
for Papers
appears)
2010
6–13 Mar† 2010 IEEE Aerospace Conference Big Sky, Montana (Contact: David Woerner,
818.726.8228; dwoerner@ieee.org; www.aeroconf.org)
8–11 Mar 8th Responsive Space Conference Los Angeles, CA (Contact: James Wertz, jwertz@smad.com,
(AIAA Los Angeles and Orange County Sections) www.responsivespace.com)
16–17 Mar 2010 Congressional Visits Day Washington, DC
22–24 Mar 8th U.S. Missile Defense Conference and Exhibit Washington, DC
22–24 Mar 3AF 45th Symposium of Applied Aerodynamics Marseilles, France (Contact: Anne Venables, secr.exec@
aaaf.asso.fr, www.aaaf.asso.fr)
12–15 Apr 51st AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Orlando, FL May 09 10 Aug 09
Dynamics, and Materials Conference
18th AIAA/ASME/AHS Adaptive Structures Conference
12th AIAA Non-Deterministic Approaches Conference
11th AIAA Gossamer Systems Forum
6th AIAA Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Specialist Conference (Jan)
20–22 Apr AIAA Infotech@Aerospace 2010 (Feb) Atlanta, GA Jun 09 23 Oct 09
25–30 Apr SpaceOps 2010 Conference: Delivering on the Dream (Jan) Huntsville, AL May 09 1 Aug 09
Hosted by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and organized by AIAA
1 May Seventh Annual Aerospace Systems and Technology Conference Santa Ana, CA
(AIAA Orange County Section in collaboration with the Los Angeles Section) Contact: https://info.aiaa.org/Regions/Western/Orange_County/
default.aspx
4–6 May† ASTRO 2010—15th CASI Astronautics Conference Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Contact: G. Languedoc, 613.591.8787, www.casi.ca
11–12 May Inside Aerospace—An International Forum for Aviation and Arlington, VA
Space Leaders (Feb)
12 May 2010 Aerospace Spotlight Awards Gala Washington, DC
13–15 May† Fifth Argentine Congress on Space Technology Mar del Plata, Argentina
Contact: Pablo de Leon, 701.777.2369, Deleon@aate.org,
31 May–2 Jun† 17th St. Petersburg International Conference on Integrated Saint Petersburg, Russia (Contact: Prof V. Peshekhonov,
Navigation Systems www.elektropribor.spb.ru, elprib@online.ru)
1–4 Jun† 4th International Conference on Research in Air Transportation Budapest, Hungary
(ICRAT 2010) Contact: Andres Zellweger, dres.z@comcast.net, www.icrat.org
7–9 Jun† 16th AIAA/CEAS Aeroacoustics Conference Stockholm, Sweden
Contact: Hans Bodén, hansbod@kth.se
8–10 Jun† 3rd International Symposium on System and Control in Aeronautics Harbin, People’s Republic of China
and Astronautics (ISSCAA 2010) Contact: Zhenshen Qu, ocicq@126.com, http://isscaa.hit.edu.cn
14–18 Jun† ASME TurboExpo 2010 Glasgow, Scotland, UK (Contact: www.turboexpo.org)
28 Jun–1 Jul 40th AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference & Exhibit (Mar) Chicago, IL Jun 09 5 Nov 09
10th AIAA/ASME Joint Thermophysics and Heat Transfer Conference
27th AIAA Aerodynamic Measurement Technology and Ground Testing Conference
28th AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Conference
41st AIAA Plasmadynamics and Lasers Conference
5th AIAA Flow Control Conference
28 Jun–2 Jul† 8th International LISA Symposium Stanford, CA (Contact: Sasha Buchman, 650.725.4110,
www.stanford.edu/group/lisasymposium)
30 Jun–3 Jul† ICNPAA 2010—Mathematical Problems in Engineering, Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil
Aerospace and Sciences Contact: Prof. S. Sivasundaram, 386.761.9829, seenithi@aol.com
11–15 Jul 40th International Conference on Environmental Systems Barcelona, Spain Oct 09 2 Nov 09
18–25 Jul† 28th Scientific Assembly of the Committee on Space Research Bremen, Germany
(COSPAR 2010) Contact: www.cospar2010.org
25–28 Jul 46th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit Nashville, TN Jul 09 19 Nov 09
25–28 Jul 8th International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference & Exhibit Nashville, TN Jul 09 19 Nov 09
2011
4–7 Jan 49th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting Orlando, FL 1 Jun 10
Including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition
13–17 Feb 21st AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting New Orleans, LA
Contact: Peter Lai, 310.336.2367, www.space-flight.org/
AAS_meetings/2011_winter/2011%20winter.html
4–7 Apr 52st AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, Denver, CO 9 Aug 10
and Materials Conference
19th AIAA/ASME/AHS Adaptive Structures Conference
13th AIAA Non-Deterministic Approaches Conference
12th AIAA Gossamer Systems Forum
7th AIAA Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Specialist Conference
Including AIAA Dynamics Specialists Conference
11–14 Apr 17th AIAA International Space Planes and Hypersonic Systems San Francisco, CA 1 Sep 10
and Technologies Conference
2010
10–11 Apr Aeroelasticity: State-of-the-Art Practices Structures et al. Conferences Orlando, FL
http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=230&lumeetingid=2336&viewcon=courses
10–11 Apr Modern Modeling of Aircraft Structures* Structures et al. Conferences Orlando, FL
10–11 Apr Introduction to Non-Deterministic Approaches Structures et al. Conferences Orlando, FL
10–11 Apr Tensegrity Systems* Structures et al. Conferences Orlando, FL
26–27 Jun Modern Design of Experiments Fluids Conferences Chicago, IL
http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=230&lumeetingid=2120&viewcon=courses
26–27 Jun Basic Fluids Modeling with Surface Evolver Fluids Conferences Chicago, IL
26–27 Jun Computational Heat Transfer (CHT) and Thermal Modeling Fluids Conferences Chicago, IL
26–27 Jun Stability and Transition: Theory, Modeling and Applications Fluids Conferences Chicago, IL
26–27 Jun Verification and Validation in Scientific Computing Fluids Conferences Chicago, IL
29–30 Jul Liquid Propulsion Systems Joint Propulsion Conference Nashville, TN
http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=230&lumeetingid=2347&viewcon=courses
29–30 Jul Hydrogen Safety Course* Joint Propulsion Conference Nashville, TN
29–30 Jul NPSS: A Practical Introduction* Joint Propulsion Conference Nashville, TN
29–30 Jul Advanced Solid Rockets Joint Propulsion Conference Nashville, TN
29–30 Jul Air Breathing Pulse Detonation Engine Technology* Joint Propulsion Conference Nashville, TN
29–30 Jul Tactical Missile Design-Integration Joint Propulsion Conference Nashville, TN
31 Jul–1 Aug System Identification Applied to Aircraft—Theory and Practice GNC Conferences Toronto, Ontario, Canada
http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=230&lumeetingid=2109&viewcon=courses
31 Jul–1 Aug Robust and Adaptive Control Theory GNC Conferences Toronto, Ontario, Canada
31 Jul–1 Aug Automated Modelling and Simulation of Dynamic and Control Systems Using GNC Conferences Toronto, Ontario, Canada
the Bond Graph Method in Aerospace Applications*
31 Jul–1 Aug Advanced Space Vehicle Control and Dynamics* GNC Conferences Toronto, Ontario, Canada
31 Jul–1 Aug Emerging Principles in Fast Trajectory Optimization GNC Conferences Toronto, Ontario, Canada
31 Jul–1 Aug Mathematical Introduction to Integrated Navigation Systems with Applications GNC Conferences Toronto, Ontario, Canada
29–30 Aug System Architecture, Capability, and Technology Assessment: Return on Investment SPACE Conference Anaheim, CA
http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=230&lumeetingid=2387&viewcon=courses
29–30 Aug Systems Engineering Fundamentals SPACE Conference Anaheim, CA
29–30 Aug The Space Environment and Its Effects on Space Systems SPACE Conference Anaheim, CA
11–12 Sep Optimal Design in Multidisciplinary Systems ATIO/MAO Conference Fort Worth, TX
http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=230&lumeetingid=2279&viewcon=courses
11–12 Sep Systems Engineering Fundamentals ATIO/MAO Conference Fort Worth, TX
14–15 Nov Tactical and Strategic Missile Guidance Missile Sci Conference Monterey, CA
1 Dec–30 Apr Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics Distance Learning
1 Dec–30 Apr Advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics Distance Learning
1 Dec–30 Apr Computational Fluid Turbulence Distance Learning
1 Dec–30 Apr Spacecraft Thermal Control Distance Learning
* = New Course
Early Bird Registration Deadline: 31 May 2010 27th AIAA Aerodynamic Measurement
Technology and Groundd Testin
Testing
Late Registration Deadline: 21 June 2010 Conference
28th AIAA Aerodynamics
A Applied Aerodyn
ynam
www.aiaa.org/events/Chicago2010
Conference
nce
5th AIAA Flow Conference
w Control Confer
C
40th AIAA
A Fluid Dynamics
D Co
Conference
and Exhibit
41st AIAA Plasmadynamics
and Lasers Conference
10th AIAA/ASME Joint Thermophysics
and Heat Transfer Conference
28 June–1
J 1 July
J l 2010
Hyatt Regency McCormick Place
Chicago, IL
10-0012
10-0012
09-0675
www.aiaa.org/events/I@A
www.aiaa.org/search
LTJG Scott Martin learned to fly the TH-57 helicopter while assigned to
Helicopter Training Squadron Eight (HT-8) at NAS Whiting Field, in Milton, FL.
SpaceOps 2010
Conference
25–30 April 2010
Von Braun Center
Huntsville, Alabama
www.SpaceOps2010.org
DELIVERING
he
on t
e am
Dr Early bird
registration deadline
09-0686r1
31 March 2010
Hosted by: Sponsored by: Supported by: Organized by:
NASA Marshall
Space Flight
Center
The Engines of Pratt & Whitney: A Technical History Aircraft Engine Controls: Design, System Analysis, and
Jack Connors Health Monitoring
Library of Flight Series Link C. Jaw, Scientific Monitoring, Inc. and Jack D.
2010, 528 pages, Hardback Mattingly, Mattingly Consulting
ISBN-13: 978-1-60086-711-8 AIAA Education Series
AIAA Member Price: $39.95 2009, 364 pages, Hardback
List Price: $49.95 ISBN: 978-1-60086-705-7
AIAA Member Price: $74.95
Principles of Flight Simulation List Price: $99.95
David Allerton, University of Sheffield
Analytical Mechanics of Space Systems, Second Edition
AIAA Education Series
2010, 471 pages, Hardback
Hanspeter Schaub, University of Colorado, and John L.
ISBN-13: 978-1-60086-703-3 Junkins, Texas A&M University
AIAA Member Price: $74.95 AIAA Education Series
List Price: $94.95 2009, 794 pages, Hardback
ISBN: 978-1-60086-721-7
Optimal Control Theory with Aerospace Applications AIAA Member Price: $79.95
List Price: $104.95
Joseph Z. Ben-Asher, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology
AIAA Education Series Computational Modelling and Simulation of Aircraft and
February 2010, 264 pages, Hardback
ISBN-13: 978-1-60086-732-3
the Environment: Volume I—Platform Kinematics and
AIAA Member Price: $69.95 Synthetic Environment
List Price: $89.95 Dominic J. Diston
AIAA Education Series
Advances in Collaborative Civil Aeronautical 2009, 356 pages, Hardback
ISBN: 978-1-60086-704-0
Multidisciplinary Design Optimization AIAA Member Price: $74.95
Ernst Kesseler and Marin D. Guenov List Price: $94.95
Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics Series, 233
2010, 438 pages, Hardback Finite Element Structural Analysis: New Concepts
ISBN-13: 978-1-60086-725-5 J.S. Przemieniecki, Air Force Institute of Technology (Ret.)
AIAA Member Price: $79.95
List Price: $109.95 AIAA Education Series
2009, 138 pages, Hardback
ISBN-13: 978-1-56347-997-7
From RAINBOW to GUSTO: Stealth and the Design of the AIAA Member Price: $69.95
Lockheed Blackbird List Price: $89.95
Paul A. Suhler
Library of Flight Series Fundamentals and Applications of Modern Flow Control
2009, 300 pages, Paperback Ronald D. Joslin and Daniel N. Miller
ISBN-13: 978-1-60086-712-5
Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics Series, Vol. 231
AIAA Member Price: $29.95
2009, 522 pages, Hardback
List Price: $39.95 ISBN: 978-1-56347-983-0
AIAA Member Price: $79.95
Out of This World: The New Field of Space Architecture List Price: $104.95
A S. Howe and Brent Sherwood, with cover art by Syd Mead
Library of Flight Series View complete descriptions
2009, 422 pages, Hardback
ISBN-13: 978-1-56347-982-3 and order 24 hours a day at
AIAA Member Price: $89.95 www.aiaa.org/new
List Price: $119.95
Synopses
40th Fluid Dynamics Conference and Exhibit
The 40th AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference will include papers covering all aspects of fluid dynamics, particularly those relevant to
aerospace applications. Topics range from basic research and development to applied and advanced technology, including novel exper-
imental and computational observations, interdisciplinary papers that bridge theoretical, experimental, and numerical approaches, and
papers that provide innovative concepts and analyses, or especially new insight into flow physics. Sessions will include papers related to
low and high speed flows, instability, transition, turbulence, vortex dynamics, multi-phase and/or reacting flows, unsteady fluid dynamics,
numerical and experimental methods, multidisciplinary applications, and various aspects of flow control. The conference is collocated
with several other conferences to enable close synergism and interaction among a broad range of research disciplines in fluid dynamics,
and several joint and invited sessions on topics of broad interest will be arranged.
Computational Heat Transfer (CHT) and Thermal Modeling (Instructor: Dean S. Schrage)
The CHT course provides a detailed focus on the thermal analysis process and offers a unique analysis perspective by developing the
concepts around practical examples. It is a computational course dedicated to heat transfer simulation. In the treatment of the general pur-
pose advection-diffusion (AD) equation, the course material provides a strong introductory basis in CFD. The course promotes a multistep
modeling paradigm from which to base computational heat transfer analysis. Seven lectures form a close parallel with the modeling para-
digm to further emphasize the concepts. The present CHT course is also designed around an array of practical examples and contemporary
simulation codes, employing InterLab sessions. It includes commercial grade meshing and analysis tools to promote continued study. The
overall goal of the CHT course is to form a bond between theory and practice, emphasizing a definitive structure to the modeling process.
Stability and Transition: Theory, Modeling, Experiments, and Applications (Instructors: Hassan A. Hassan, Helen L. Reed, and
William S. Saric)
Knowledge of transition is critical for accurate force and heating predictions and effective control (both transition delay and enhancement).
This course reviews the roadmap to transition, including receptivity, attachment line, transient growth, stability, and breakdown; and presents
a comprehensive and critical review of current methods used to determine the physics and onset of transition for a wide variety of 2D and
3D flows, both high- and low-speed. Tools reviewed include linear stability theory, parabolized stability equations, and direct numerical simu-
lations. Guidelines for experiments and flight tests are reviewed. Then a comprehensive review of transition region models will be provided
including algebraic/integral and differential models. In particular, an approach will be presented in which one calculates onset and extent of
transition as part of the solution at a cost typical of turbulent flow calculations. Once the user specifies the transition mechanism, the eddy
viscosity of the non-turbulent fluctuations is provided.
Verification and Validation in Scientific Computing (Instructors: William L. Oberkampf and Christopher J. Roy)
The performance, reliability, and safety of engineering systems are becoming increasingly reliant on scientific computing. This short
course follows closely the instructors’ new book Verification and Validation in Scientific Computing to be published by Cambridge University
Press in 2010. The course deals with techniques and practical procedures for assessing the credibility of scientific computing simulations. It
presents modern terminology and effective procedures for verification of numerical simulations and validation of mathematical models that
are described by partial differential or integral equations. The approaches presented are applicable to commercial, corporate, government,
and research computer codes. While the focus is on scientific computing, experimentalists will benefit from the discussion of techniques for
designing and conducting validation experiments. A framework is providing for incorporating various error sources identified during the veri-
fication and validation process into the total simulation prediction uncertainty. Application examples are primarily taken from fluid dynamics,
solid mechanics, and heat transfer.
Complete course outlines and author biographies can be obtained at www.aiaa.org or by calling AIAA customer service at 800.639.2422.
Option 7: 1st AIAA CFD High-Lift Prediction Workshop Wednesday Lunch Exhibit Reception $60
(HiLiftPW-1) Student Ticket Package (Food functions only) $170
$200 $300 $400 Online Proceedings & After-Meeting DVD $200
Registration includes workshop participation only. Conference
registration is not included. Registration Hours
Saturday, 26 June 0730–1700 hrs (Courses &
By 31 May By 25 June On-Site Workshop Only)
Option 8: Professional Development Registration Sunday, 27 June 1600–1900 hrs
AIAA Member $1095 $1200 $1275 Monday, 28 June 0700–1700 hrs
Nonmember $1195 $1300 $1375 Tuesday, 29 June 0700–1700 hrs
Extra Tickets Wednesday, 30 June 0700–1700 hrs
Tuesday Awards Luncheon $50 Thursday, 1 July 0700–1200 hrs
Monday Welcome Exhibit Reception $60
AIAA will no longer be publishing printed copies of registration forms. Registration forms are available for
download on the main page of the event Web site at www.aiaa.org/events/Chicago2010.
Call for
Associate Fellow Nominations
Now is the time to start
thinking about who is
eligible for Associate Fellow.
Associate Fellow candidates are people who have Associate Fellow nominations are due 15 April 2010
accomplished or been in charge of important and references are due 15 May 2010.
engineering or scientific work, or who have done
work of outstanding merit or have otherwise made To submit a nomination, please visit our
outstanding contributions to the arts, sciences, or Web site at www.aiaa.org.
technology of aeronautics or astronautics. Nominees
must be AIAA Senior Members and have at least
twelve years of professional experience.
10-0128
Organized
O i db by Co-Sponsored
C S d by Official Media Sponsors
10-0010_Hpg_Rev
Fundamentals of Non-Deterministic Approaches (Instructors: Michael P. Enright, Ben H. Thacker, Sankaran Mahadevan, and Ramana V. Grandhi)
This course is offered as an overview of modern engineering methods and techniques used for modeling uncertainty. Fundamentals of probability and statis-
tics are covered briefly to lay the groundwork, followed by overviews of each of the major branches of uncertainty assessment used to support component-
and system-level life cycle activities, including design, analysis, optimization, fabrication, testing, maintenance, qualification, and certification. Branches of
Non-Deterministic Approaches (NDA) to be covered include fast probability methods (e.g., FORM, SORM, Advanced Mean Value, etc.), simulation methods
such as Monte Carlo and importance sampling, surrogate methods such as response surface, as well as more advanced topics such as system reliability,
time-dependent reliability, probabilistic finite element analysis, and reliability-based design. An overview of emerging non-probabilistic methods for performing
uncertainty analysis will also be presented.
Computational Heat Transfer (CHT) and Thermal Modeling (Instructor: Dean S. Schrage)
The CHT course provides a detailed focus on the thermal analysis process and offers a unique analysis perspective by developing the concepts around
practical examples. It is a computational course dedicated to heat transfer simulation. In the treatment of the general purpose advection-diffusion (AD)
equation, the course material provides a strong introductory basis in CFD. The course promotes a multistep modeling paradigm from which to base com-
putational heat transfer analysis. Seven lectures form a close parallel with the modeling paradigm to further emphasize the concepts. The present CHT
course is also designed around an array of practical examples and contemporary simulation codes, employing InterLab sessions. The course includes
commercial grade meshing and analysis tools to promote continued study. The overall goal of the CHT course is to form a bond between theory and prac-
tice, emphasizing a definitive structure to the modeling process.
Stability and Transition: Theory, Modeling, Experiments, and Applications (Instructors: Hassan A. Hassan, Helen L. Reed, and William S. Saric)
Knowledge of transition is critical for accurate force and heating predictions and effective control (both transition delay and enhancement). This course
reviews the roadmap to transition, including receptivity, attachment line, transient growth, stability, and breakdown; and presents a comprehensive and
Verification and Validation in Scientific Computing (Instructors: William L. Oberkampf and Christopher J. Roy)
The performance, reliability, and safety of engineering systems are becoming increasingly reliant on scientific computing. This short course follows closely
the instructors’ new book Verification and Validation in Scientific Computing (Cambridge University Press, 2010). The course deals with techniques and
practical procedures for assessing the credibility of scientific computing simulations. It presents modern terminology and effective procedures for verifica-
tion of numerical simulations and validation of mathematical models that are described by partial differential or integral equations. The approaches pre-
sented are applicable to commercial, corporate, government, and research computer codes. While the focus is on scientific computing, experimentalists
will benefit from the discussion of techniques for designing and conducting validation experiments. A framework is providing for incorporating various error
sources identified during the verification and validation process into the total simulation prediction uncertainty. Application examples are primarily taken
from fluid dynamics, solid mechanics, and heat transfer.
Air Breathing Pulse Detonation Engine Technology (Sponsored by the AIAA Air Breathing Technical Committee, lead by Dora Musielak)
The PDE Technology short course is designed to present a comprehensive overview of air-breathing Pulse Detonation Engines, including detonation com-
bustion theory, performance metrics, fuels and initiation systems, detonation physics research, technical challenges, and opportunities for development of
PDEs. This course will be taught by instructors who are renowned experts from government and industrial organizations actively engaged in PDE propul-
sion R&D. They will discuss state of the art, challenges, and development trends of this exciting propulsion technology.
Liquid Propulsion Systems—Evolution and Advancements (Sponsored by the AIAA Liquid Propulsion Technical Committee, lead by Alan Frankel)
Liquid propulsion systems are critical to launch vehicle and spacecraft performance, safety, and cost. This course will cover rocket propulsion fundamentals;
propulsion chemistry; converting chemistry into performance; launch vehicle propulsion; spacecraft propulsion; and applying propulsion lessons learned.
Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS): A Practical Introduction (Instructors: Ian Halliwell, Edward Butzin, and Paul Johnson)
The objective of this course is to give attendees a working knowledge of Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS) software and allow them to cre-
ate and/or modify system models using this tool. The course material will discuss the object-oriented architecture and how it is used in NPSS to develop
flexible yet robust models. A detailed presentation of NPSS execution options, syntax, and interfaces with external codes will be addressed. Overviews of
NPSS operation (i.e., Solver, etc.) will also be included. The attendees will be involved interactively with the material by performing exercises on their per-
sonal hardware that demonstrates and further clarifies the material. All attendees will be provided with a reduced capability version of NPSS for their use
during the course and will be permitted to keep it after the course is completed.
3 AIAA MEMBERSHIP: If you are registering for one of the collocated professional
development short courses at the nonmember rate, included with your registration fee is
one year of AIAA membership.
COURSES OFFERED AT FLUID DYNAMICS ET AL. CONFERENCES
Attend any professional development course and receive “free” registration to the conference sessions only
Included in your AIAA membership will be periodic communications about AIAA Early Bird by 31 May 10 Late by 26 Jun 10 On-site Beginning 27 Jun 10
benefits, products, and services. Check here if you prefer not to receive membership
information via e-mail. Basic Fluids Modeling with Surface Evolver
From time to time, we make member information available to companies whose products $1095 $1195 $1200 $1300 $1275 $1375
or services may be of interest to you. Check here if you prefer not to have your name Computational Heat Transfer (CHT) and Thermal Modeling
and address used for non-AIAA mailings. $1095 $1195 $1200 $1300 $1275 $1375
Signature_____________________________________________Date__________________ Modern Design of Experiments
Check here if you are renewing or reinstating your membership. (You must pay the full $1095 $1195 $1200 $1300 $1275 $1375
nonmember conference fee.) Stability and Transition: Theory, Modeling, Experiments, and
Applications
RETURN FORM TO: $1095 $1195 $1200 $1300 $1275 $1375
www.aiaa.org/courses 1801 Alexander Bell Dr., Ste 500 703.264.7657 COURSES OFFERED AT JOINT PROPULSION CONFERENCE
Reston, VA, 20191 Attend any professional development course and receive “free” registration to the conference sessions only
Cancellations Substitutions may be made at any time. Cancellations must be postmarked Early Bird by 28 Jun 10 Late by 28 Jul 10 On-site Beginning 29 Jul 10
four weeks before the course start date and are subject to a $100 cancellation fee to cover
Advanced Solid Rocket Technologies
administrative overhead. AIAA reserves the right to cancel any program due to insufficient
registration or any situation beyond its control. Each course will be reviewed three weeks $1095 $1195 $1200 $1300 $1275 $1375
prior to the start date and may be canceled if a minimum enrollment has not been reached. Air Breathing Pulse Detonation Engine Technology
Participants will be notified immediately and a full refund will be issued. AIAA cannot be $1095 $1195 $1200 $1300 $1275 $1375
responsible for expenses incurred because of course cancellation. AIAA reserves the right Hydrogen Safety Course
to substitute speakers in the event of unusual circumstances. For additional information, call $1095 $1195 $1200 $1300 $1275 $1375
Dan Medina at 703.264.7642 or 800.639.2422; FAX 703.264.7657; E-mail: danielm@
Liquid Propulsion Systems—Evolution and Advancements
aiaa.org.
$1095 $1195 $1200 $1300 $1275 $1375
Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS): A Practical
5 Check here if you need to make special arrangements due to a disability.
Attach requirements on a separate sheet of paper.
Introduction
$1095 $1195 $1200 $1300 $1275 $1375
Tactical Missile Design—Integration
6 FORM OF PAYMENT:
AIAA Member Number: ___________________________
Purchase Order American Express
All registrants must provide
a valid ID (driver’s license or
passport) when they check in.
.
$1095 $1195 $1200
For student registration, valid __ Prepaid Group Discount (One 5% discount per registrant)
Check VISA student ID is also required.
Travelers Check MasterCard
Wire Transfer Diners Club 5% Group Discounts
Deduct 5% for three or TOTAL DUE: $ _______________________
Credit Card Number: more students from the
same organization, if
______________________________________________
registered simultaneously,
Expiration Date: _________Month _______ Year _____ prepaid, and postmarked
four weeks before the first
Signature: _____________________________________ day of the course. Please
E-mail address of cardholder for receipt: register each person on a
separate form. Photocopies
______________________________________________ are acceptable.