"NASA," as the name that evokes in the mind as images and feelings amazing: landing on the moon, the space shuttle and space telescope "Hubble", and a number of trips and science projects varied, as well as a large number of famous space science and technology, how they look from the inside
As for that special atmosphere of the world, climate science in higher grades, and cooperative work in the most beautiful pictures, and creativity devoted to the scientific goals seem impossible outside jurisdictions. Vensaad for humanity to be achieved in these centers and the scientific point of view, and I weep for the wide and deep gap which has been widening between the two worlds the north and south, and one wonders how it can unite the globe from above in the near or distant future.
The fruit of the challenges
The roots of (NASA) in fact in 1915 when the President established the Woodrow Wilson National Advisory Council for Aeronautics (NACA) (Naka), which was converted to (NASA) when it was Soviet missile (Sputnik), and felt the Americans that the pole of the Communist in achieving the above and provide strategically very important. Was therefore prepared a number of space projects: (Mercury) (Mercury), the first program designed to achieve manned space flight in human beings, has been involved with 54 pilot in 6 training flights, and then (Gemini) (Gemini), which included trips longer in conditions of zero gravity and pool in space and the confluence of two vehicles, then the project (Apollo) (Apollo) great Brhlath eleven successful, six of them landed on the moon allowed in total of twelve leading walking on it, then (LMS) (Skylab) trip lengthy, which lasted almost two years and allowed for humans spend long periods of time (several weeks) in space to test the resistance of their bodies to the conditions of weightlessness, as well as to do with experiences on certain materials, and finally came the stage of the space shuttle, which allowed the development of devices important in the space (telescope (Hubble), space observatory for gamma rays, etc.), and do different experiments and advanced in the areas of scientific, technical, and medical.
There were of course failures during the Long March, which is a natural thing should happen in such a great human enterprise. Has seen days (Mercury) and (Gemini) and (Apollo) the first explosions of rockets and big problems in space, as well as the pioneers did not survive (Apollo 13) to their lives - on a trip attracted breath the whole world - only narrowly. But the biggest disaster in the history of (NASA) was - no doubt - shuttle (Challenger) and seven astronauts on board - including the first normal school - in January 1986. I remember that day and the event clearly because I was older then and I got a PhD in the area close to that, I remember the big shock caused by the space community and scientific for many years.
The shuttle stopped for three years, until it was accurately determine the cause of the failure and then avoided. It is also famous failures, the imbalance is important, which is found in the Space Telescope (Hubble) (which had cost two billion dollars and many years of work and diligence) long and placed in Earth orbit in April 1990.
But those failures indicate, more than anything else, the hardness is determined with (NASA) and its ability to overcome difficulties and difficult stages, and even live up to the level of ambition is higher than the original. Who among us does not mention the hours of wonder (which increased by one hundred hours) spent by the astronauts hanging in a vacuum and they fit and make up for cutting (Hubble) defective, especially after we saw the amazing photos (and the vast amount of information) that enables the telescope to capture and submit them to the researchers after it was repairs.
Include (NASA) today about 19 thousand workers, a figure much lower than the bulk (33 alpha) that has been reached in 1966 and 1967, and 24 alpha 1990. But NASA has become too heavily dependent on contracting with companies, which are large companies (such as the Okid) (Lockheed) and (Marjatta Martin) (Martin Marietta), which includes the other tens of thousands of workers. The budget (NASA) was $ 13.6 billion in 1998 having exceeded $ 15 billion in the eighties, and dropped to about 10 billion in the mid-nineties.
The composition (NASA) of the command center is important in the heart of Washington, and nine scientific centers.
In addition to these centers, the nine major network includes (NASA), two others are: (Laboratory JPL JPL) famous in California, which means flights planetary such as: (Galileo) and (Voyager) and (Magellan) and (Pathfinder) and others, and (station and wear of the Air).
Center (Goddard)
To give a clearer idea of what is happening in this place, perhaps I should provide a summary picture of Center (Goddard). This center has played a leading role in space research since established in 1959. It projects the main remind Space Telescope (Hubble), which is (Goddard) center operations and control his movements, then there is the project (the journey to the planet) (Mission to Planet Earth), which aims to study our planet as a comprehensive environmental and unified, as well as the satellite project GOES allocated to environmental studies. It is also (Goddard), a leading center in the world in the development and application of advanced technology in several areas, including reagents, electronic and optical devices and the physics of heat very low, and microelectronics and information systems and advanced communications, and techniques for monitoring and control of land and Astrophysics in the field of energies higher (cosmic rays and-rays and gamma ).
The center consists of 32 large building, covering an area of over 20 square kilometers. Employs about 12 thousand people, of whom about 8 thousands of researchers, engineers and technical framework. And has an annual budget of up to about $ 3 billion. As a matter of administration,
Viوkl the center of the the following boroughs:
1 - Office of the Director-General: It is a whole, which runs the center, and coordinates the various activities of the center, and is based on two assistants: the Bureau of Human Resources and the Office of Chief Financial Officer.
2 - Office of the conduct of operations: which provides various capabilities necessary for the success of scientific projects and technology.
3 - Office of Insurance flights: Responsible for the safety and quality assurance programs leading to the success of the various trips, including the control and make sure the various electronic components and their constituent materials and methods to engage all of them. This office is also responsible for ensuring the independent review and examination of each special designs equipment, vehicles and trips in general.
4 - Project Management journeys: that organize and manage the conduct of major projects, trips to the Centre, and oversees new projects in the first stages of study, as well as international cooperation programs and projects of small and medium-sized vehicles.
5 - flight operations management and information systems: that the planning, design, development and implementation of networks, space communications, as well as track flights, and provides information systems necessary for flight near the ground.
6 - Department of Space Science: where is the planning, organizing and evaluating a wide range of research topics in space science, both theoretical and empirical. The NFL argued that there is a large and continuous consultation between the administration, departments and offices concerned with the flights.
7 - Department of Earth Sciences: that is where the scientific research aimed at understanding the different mechanisms to the environment of our planet, and how they change in a comprehensive manner, as well as to identify the availability and distribution of natural resources on Earth and in its interior, and how to take advantage of the best ways the adoption of remote sensing technology.
8 - Management of Engineering: providing expertise and support in the areas of design, development and testing of vehicles and parts of the complex and comprehensive regulations that go into a project. As engineers (Goddard) in consultation and cooperation with representatives from other centers for NASA and other agencies and industries, and even other countries in the field of space systems and technology related to the mechanism to do so.
In addition to these offices and departments, the Center contains a range of interests and activities such as public library and the Visitors Center and the Office of Public Relations and the Department of lectures and exhibitions, we would like to give an overview about the other is as follows:
* The library, and is divided into two parts:
A book, with more than one hundred thousand titles (50 new titles added each month)
To periodicals, the more than a thousand, and most of them dating back tens of years - some more than a century - to the past.
And allows anyone - working a permanent or transient visitors - to take advantage of all the library services, to check the microfiche to the toll-free imaging of all documents (books, magazines, etc.)!
That the library has the latest information systems, of the order of books, periodicals and various documents on the computer, and the possibility of research remotely via the Internet, but that the researcher can request any document on your computer to acquaintances mail procedure, and can also ask for a book or document is available in the library, Vttalbh his management of the library or external organization in the shortest possible ... And also benefited the library storage capacity on a CD (CD-ROM) has placed the banks of information such as: Reference (enabled Gro - Do) scientific and technical, and an index of the stars guide, and the world's climate, and summaries of research air and ground astronomical physical, electronic library (IEEE) and geographical reference, and many others.
* Visitors Center, which contains an exhibition hall where the great models and maps and displays for the short documentary films, and a special office to provide teachers (for free) a variety of educational materials, and a small booth to sell gifts and souvenirs. It is through the center is organized visits with a guide to many parts of the center, including control rooms, satellite, vehicles and rooms of manufacturing equipment and installation. The center is open 6 days a week from ninth to fourth.
* The Public Relations Office, which is a link with the society in general and the media in particular, and provides the latest information on flights and scientific results and activities of the center, through which access to any employee center, where it maintains a bank information computerized comprehensive contains both human intelligence and data technology past and present , and also provides photos and other recordings on various projects, and also organizes dialogues and interviews with researchers and officials.
* Department of lectures, exhibitions, organized through lectures, technical and specialized within the Centre and the public lectures which are given in external institutions (schools, universities, engineering companies, political institutions, etc. ...), by some researchers, working on projects (NASA) current and future and the extent of community benefit from technology developed at NASA, and different interests to scientists and researchers today and tomorrow. Inside the center, and received about ten lectures a week in the scientific departments and the various technical, ranging from very specialized and public addressed to all scientists of various persuasions. In these lectures I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Farouk El-Baz (Geological Egyptian-American senior who worked on the Apollo project, and projects, remote sensing many important), since several years, and senior scientists others such as Alan Sandj (student (Hubble) and heir, scientific), and Roger Penrose (A senior cosmology and theoretical physics today).
In summary, (Goddard), and all stations (NASA), the other, a world full scientific. The work - or rather, life - in this world is very easy, thanks to the cooperation of all and Tkacvhm the public interest. Employees of the library to find pleasure in helping researchers and engineers to access the information they need, and even trying to alleviate the pressure of work and research on them, Faovrun daily newspapers and magazines to read in the lounge. As well as find engineers and supervisors of the computers and their networks are ready to solve any problem occur to any student or employee, but also to provide counseling and advice on technical aspects such as numerical analysis or computer simulations may be required to adopt as a researcher from time to time. It was striking that most of the buildings, offices and halls, which is where the research is open to everyone all the time, it is very rare that received a closed door at a given moment, but leave most of the halls and offices are open at lunch time and closed only at night, and document imaging free and open to all in In every building all the time, does not need any one to a card or PIN is not counting the amount of the consumer imaging or paper in the last day or month. Even sending conditions Balbraidely anywhere (within the center or outside it, in America or abroad) does not cost the researcher nothing at all, he needs only to write the address of the addressee on the envelope and place it in a bag placed at the entrance of each building, as it is collected conditions twice in the today and sent by the stakeholders concerned. All this in order to facilitate the work of the researcher and relieving them of all burdens, so that he his mind entirely to research and innovation.
Can be classified projects (NASA) for the decade to come under two main sections:
Study of the universe and study the Earth. Under section I can put two major programs:
(Major space observatories), and the project (sources) (Origins),
Part II contains the International Space Station project (a trip to the planet).
Program features (observatories major space) four satellites scientific mission is: Space Telescope (Hubble), and (space observatory for gamma) (GRO) and (station developed X-ray satellite-ray) (AXAF) and (the space station for the infrared) (SIRTF), the program (s) of Vehtm study of life and their sources in the universe, and also includes flights to be sent to Mars and to a number of objects of the solar system.
Taking these projects constitute an important stage and advanced research in the field of space and the universe, I would like to provide some detailed information for each.
Telescope Observatory
(Hubble) is a dream back in the mind of one of the scientists is (Ayman Spitzer) for the first time in the forties, was designed and installed in the seventies and eighties, and then placed in an orbit around the Earth in 1990. The telescope has a mirror on the major diameter of two meters and forty centimeters and a wide range of devices and integrated, including a private Mtyaphan three cameras and sensors to precise locations. The development of the observatory at an altitude of 600 km from the Earth's surface, allowing it to avoid the negative effects of the atmosphere and thus capture high-resolution images (Vtkon rich information) for various cosmic objects in visible light and ultraviolet and infrared. Valemrasd ground, even with major Tartuffe (today up to 10 meters in diameter) are seldom accurate to one second from the corner, but when there is exceptional viewing conditions, while a resolution of Hubble to ten that value, that is ten times better!
The original plan was developed for the observatory to return the land required every five years to renew and refine, and flight control and modify each two and a half. But the plan has changed radically in 1985, was canceled the idea of the return to Earth School, and decides to take corrective and innovative trips every 3 years only shall be sufficient to maintain the capacity of the Observatory for 15 years at least. The flight was already made major Altsyahyh in December 93 and February 97 successful far beyond the borders, but also raised the efficiency of the observatory to the higher levels allowed access to the results of the most important and wonderful all at once.
And is controlled in all movements and the work of Hubble, which complements the cycle around the Earth once every 95 minutes, of the Center (Goddard), as commands are sent between computers and computer base Observatory several times a day for the programs scheduled to do him in a sustainable and renewable.
Taking the shortcut here would like to talk about every project no matter how great, let us give a list of the most important achievements of the telescope during this first Ashrath:
1 - observational evidence conclusive - for the first time - the existence of massive black holes at the center of many galaxies.
2 - a measure of the age of the universe gave a value (about 10 billion years) that a considerably smaller than the values obtained previously (12 to 15 billion years).
3 - get the first visual evidence (pictures) that the universe evolves as predicted by theories of the Big Bang (Big Bang), along with accurate measurements of the quantities of an H (hydrogen isotope) is supporting the other Big Bang theory.
4 - Kweserat detect (bare), which are not found in the heart of galaxies.
5 - drop the hypothesis of red dwarf stars as a solution to the problem (missing mass) of the universe.
6 - Provide evidence that the planets - and thus life - may be very abundant in the galaxy and (the universe).
7 - provide detailed images of the weather conditions and natural on the planets of the solar system.
8 - to produce images of a planet orbiting a distant star (other than the sun).
9 - take pictures of stars being generated now in the Eagle Nebula, which is perhaps the finest astronomical images taken in human history.
10 - take a deeper and more comprehensive picture of the universe, has shown that the true number of galaxies is about five times larger than previous estimates.
Still space telescope (Hubble) provides more accurate and wonderful pictures cosmic and allows astronomers to infer information and new data change concepts and perceptions radically at times. The space observatory to radiation (gamma), has designed the observatory, which captures the radiation (gamma) (the same high energies and very short wavelength too) that can not be picked up on the surface of the earth not to penetrate the atmosphere, to reveal the sources of cosmic rays powerful, or in other words all the sites in which he spoke very violent reactions. Gamma rays can not be issued only by nuclear reactions or strong convergence of material (electrons or other elementary particles), with similar countermeasures, or in circumstances where the temperature exceeds a billion degrees Celsius or magnetic fields of up to billions of what is on the ground, or next to black holes and stars Alentronah areas where there are millions of attractive than what we are used billions of times in our lives and our environment.
With the availability of this observatory, the rights for the first time may monitor the sky and the universe in all areas of the electromagnetic spectrum, the weakest ray energy (longest wave), a radio, to the strongest power (and the shortest wave), ie, radiation (gamma) passing through x-short (microwave) The infrared and visible and ultraviolet rays.
And already launched the observatory, which was given the name of the physical world (Arthur Comptn) the fact that the latter put some of the physical laws underlying the organs of the Observatory, on 5 April 1991, and was supposed to be employed for two years to four, but is still working and will continue to provide results the task after it has been lifted finally to a higher orbit (about 515 km) above the Earth's surface, and carries a satellite, which weighs a total of about 16 tons, four scientific instruments key - except for solar panels and antennas of communication and so on - you can study the phenomena of cosmic multiple and varied, These devices have provided massive amounts of new findings and the task, worked on analysis and interpretation of more than 750 researchers from 23 countries!
Space stations
The Space Station X-ray, which was launched in July 1999, the most important and most accurate telescope X-ray made so far, has decided (NASA) Finally, after a public competition won by a pupil of one of the high schools, call (Chandra) in praise of the world (Indian origin) (Chander Asekhar), who had the task of physics theories of astronomy during the thirties and forties of this century.
This device was designed to monitor the magnificent X-rays emitted from hot spots and high-energy in the galaxy and the universe, such as hot gas and supernova.
It is expected to submit (Chandra) is unique and essential information about the nature of a variety of objects, from comets in our solar system to quasars at the edge of the universe. One of the questions waiting for answers and data from the telescope, may be mentioned:
1 - What is, Where are the (dark material) in the universe, especially in the halos of galaxies and clusters of galaxies, and for this purpose will (Chandra) measured the temperature and pressure in the hot gases within and between groups of galaxies in remote areas
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