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Multidisciplinary
Design, Analysis, and
Optimization Branch
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EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES: THE NASA AEROQUIZ
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Week of 4/6/98:
Q:
Which is taller: A Saturn V rocket filled with fuel and oxidizer, or
an empty Saturn V?
A:
An empty Saturn V. The super cold fuel shrinks the metal of the
rocket, thus its overall height.
Congratulations to Anthony Lee.
The Saturn V used cryogenic liquid hydrogen fuel in its two upper
stages and cryogenic liquid oxygen as an oxidizer in all three of its stages.
The cold shrunk the overall height of the moon rocket by ten inches.
- The Aeroquiz Editor.
Week of 4/13/98:
Q:
Interestingly (or at least we think so), the theory of characteristics
was developed by mathemeticians in 1903 to solve first order partial
differential equations. It wasn't until 1929, when Prandtl and Busemann (two
names that occur regularly in the field of compressible flow) developed the
method of characteristics to solve two-dimensional supersonic flow
problems. What apparatus was successfully designed and built in the early
1930s using this new technique?
A:
A supersonic wind tunnel.
Congratulations to Anthony Lee.
They built the first practical supersonic wind tunnel in history, using a
contoured convergent-divergent nozzle designed using their new method of
characteristics.
- The Aeroquiz Editor.
Week of 4/20/98:
Q:
According to Federal Aviation regulations, a twin-engined commercial
passenger jet can not fly routes where the airplane would be farther than
60 minutes from an adequate airport. This is known as the 60-minute ETOPS
rule, or 60-minutes of Extended Twin-engine Operations, and is designed for
safety in case one engine becomes inoperative. ETOPS is sometimes
humorously called "Engines Turn or Passengers Swim." Special exemption to
this rule can be given by the FAA for twin-engine aircraft that have
demonstrated extreme reliability through long periods of service. Boeing's
new twin-engine 777, however, with new engines to boot, was granted 60-minute
ETOPS exemption immediately upon entry into service. How was this done?
A:
By undergoing the most extensive pre-delivery testing in the history of aviation. A 1,000 cycle test
performed on an unbalanced engine was completed in September of 1996. To date, the GE 90 has a
dispatch reliability rate of over 99.95%.
Congratulations to Anthony Lee.
Week of 4/27/98:
Q:
How is an emergency crew transfer between the shuttle and another rescue
vehicle performed when there are not enough space suits for the crew?
A:
Spherical pressure balls. The astronaut is bundled into this round
pressure ball, zipped up, and transferred by another astronaut to the waiting
rescue ship.
Congratulations to Anthony Lee.
A clean sweep for Anthony Lee for the month of April.
In NASA parlance, non-suited crew members are provided with "Personal
Rescue Enclosures" (fabric "rescue balls") and "Portable Oxygen Systems."
Suited crew members carry them to the rescue vehicle during a space walk.
- The Aeroquiz Editor.
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