This is the anode and cathode of the Mini-MHD generator after the last firing. Positively charged molten copper was trying to head to the negative plate and the negatively charged molten copper was trying to head to the positive plate. The test ended and they froze before completing their journey. We only see this on the small motor runs. The larger motors just blow it all out the back.
The rain was coming down so it was back under the awning again for MHD test number 25. This one was the breakthrough we were looking for. Until now we’ve been getting great voltage but either no amps or extreme ‘spikey’ data on the current. Twenty-five’s the charm, smooth, solid current and voltage all along the expected curves.
As a personal rule I never comment on or critique NASA here. However, this is so unprofessional and just awful you need to see it.
A crack was discovered in the foam of big external tank of the Space Shuttle Discovery. NASA patched it, end of story right?
Look at the job they did.
What an unprofessional, sloppy, uncraftsmanship’s like job! The vertical ribs looks hand gouged at best. It looks like they started on the left one then said “who cares” and half heartily chipped out the rest. Yes, it will probably work, but what does this say about the level of quality and craftsmanship. If my plumber did this sloppy of a job I would make him rip it out and do it again. This is the Space Shuttle!!!!
Shouldn’t the Space Shuttle have at least the craftsmanship of a nice cabinet? Sloppiness is not cheaper or cost effective.
Aside from what this says about lack of pride and concern, wouldn’t you want to polish up the old girl before her last flight?
What took down Challenger and Columbia wasn’t tech, it was attitude. This shows nothing has changed.
Original Crack (about 20 inches wide)
The patch from another angle.
It’s a engine, cabin and airplane day. The small MHD generator is getting stripped down and rebuild for a test of the new sensor system. The crew module mock up is getting windows, one more monitor and interior hand holds and the Sky Pup is getting her broken landing gear removed.
The Sky Pup is getting closer to “return to flight”.
The gear is a laminated and tapered bar of maple. It’s like a baseball bat under the plane. Flex and strength.
We did some small scale platform tests back in 1999. Remember when that year sounded like the future? The platform is about fifteen feet across. The blue balloons were used for these low altitude tether flights. This test was a preliminary run for Away 5, our first free flight platform mission. To simulate free flight we supported the tether with balloons. This kept the weight of the line from pulling on the platform.
We ran MHD test 24 with an ‘E’ motor to try and boost the current.The results were poor. However Drew’s special heat laminated epoxy held. It looks like we’re going to need to shift from a Faraday configuration to a Hall effect configuration to get the performance we need. The drawback is a Hall effect unit is much more complex.
Ignition
The run.
This roll is from about two years ago. It at 106,000 feet. When the center of gravity of the high rack is bit high it tend to do one roll before the fins grab a bit of air. Fetch Newton!
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We fired rocket engines in the rain and mounted monitors and keyboards in the crew module mock up.
The team really moved forward on our MHD generator research. We did four test firings today. Two with the new porcelain unit and two with unit number two reconfigured as a multi channel system. The first two firing were is the pouring down rain under an awning. Neither rain nor sleet, nor gloom of night….
All produced results that are moving us forward, (the multi channel unit’s data was just weird though).
Ed and Paul were at it with the hot glue and Velcro outfitting the crew module mock up. We’re really starting to get a feel for what it will be like to operate in the vehicle.
The current MDH set. Drew Preping the new unit.
Test 20 and Test 23
JP, Ed and Paul inside the crew module.
