NASA finds simple solution for effect of vehicle shake
FEB 01, 2012
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.025849
Gizmodo : Although NASA canceled its Constellation program, key research from the project could be put to use on future spacecraft. While developing the Ares 1 rocket, engineers discovered that it had a crucial flaw: During the final stages of a launch, the burning down of the solid rocket caused the entire vehicle to oscillate so rapidly that the crew couldn’t read the digital display. Rather than involving a costly fix, however, the problem proved to have a relatively simple solution. After an extensive period of trial and error, the engineers decided that, instead of trying to fix the shake, they would make the digital display strobe in time with the vibration. In his article, Gizmodo staff writer Brent Rose describes his trip to NASA’s Ames Research Center, where he got the chance to climb into the “driver’s seat.”
© 2012 American Institute of Physics
