NASA "Can Crush" Test Will Aid Future Rocket Design
WASHINGTON -- NASA will conduct an innovative engineering test on March 23 to help improve future heavy-lift launch vehicles design. The 10:30 a.m. EDT test, which will air live on NASA Television's Education Channel and the agency's website, will occur in Building 4619 at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.During the test, a massive 27.5-foot wide, 20-foot-tall
aluminum-lithium cylinder will be positioned between two large
loading rings and subjected to one million pounds of force until it
buckles. The resulting data will help validate new shell buckling
knockdown factors, which are complex engineering standards that will
help design lightweight, safe and sturdy structures for future launch
vehicles. The current knockdown factors date back to pre-Apollo-era
studies - well before modern composite materials, manufacturing
processes and advanced computer modeling.
Journalists can attend the test or arrive later for a 1:30 p.m. EDT
media opportunity. The availability will include Mark Hilburger,
senior research engineer at NASA's Langley Research Center in
Hampton, Va., and principal investigator of the Shell Buckling
Knockdown Factor Project; and Mike Roberts, engineer in Marshall's
Structural Strength Test Branch and the Marshall lead for the test.
The project to update the knockdown factors is led by the NASA
Engineering and Safety Center in collaboration with Marshall and
Langley teams.
To attend the March 23 events, reporters should contact the Marshall
Center Public and Employee Communications Office at 256-544-0034 no
later than 5 p.m. EDT on March 22. Media representatives must report
to the Redstone Visitor Center at Gate 9, Interstate 565 interchange
at Rideout Road/Research Park Blvd. Vehicles will be subjected to a
security search at the gate. Journalists will need two photo
identifications and proof of car insurance.
For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
The test also will be webcast live via Ustream at:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/
Source: NASA
