X-Nico

35 unusual facts about NASA


2000 SG344

NASA is considering it as a possible target for a manned mission(Exploration Mission 2) using the Orion spacecraft, prior to a projected 2030 push to Mars.

21962 Scottsandford

It is named after Scott Alan Sandford, a researcher at NASA's Ames Research Center.

Approach and Landing Tests

Upon the orbiter's entry into service, NASA began an extensive program of tests using Enterprise to ensure all of the systems it had put in place for the shuttle project functioned as designed.

Artificial neural membrane

Artificial neural membrane technology development has been funded by the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts, for application to flapping wing flight.

British Cycling

British Cycling continues to work with NASA, McLaren Group and many other organisations to improve track speeds.

Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine

Danny uses a computer that Professor Bulfinch has created for NASA to prepare his homework, despite Professor Bullfinch's warning that Danny is to leave the machine alone.

David Vetter

In 1977, researchers from NASA used their experience with the fabrication of space suits to develop a special suit that would allow Vetter to get out of his bubble and walk in the outside world.

Don Puddy

Donald R. Puddy (May 31, 1937 – November 22, 2004) was a NASA engineer and manager.

Frank B. McDonald

From 1982 to 1987, as NASA Chief Scientist, McDonald was a principal adviser to the NASA administrator and other senior officials.

In 1959, McDonald became one of the first scientists to join NASA's new Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

He was a key force behind several initiatives and programs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, for which he served as chief scientist.

George Wetherill

Wetherill provided leadership in the scientific community by serving on advisory committees for NASA, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Science Foundation.

Harrison Brown

Together they made advancements in telescopic instrumentation, jet propulsion (contributing to NASA's early planetary exploration missions), and infrared astronomy.

History of laptops

However, it was used heavily by the U.S. military, and by NASA on the Space Shuttle during the 1980s.

HMH-461

As part of the U.S. Space Program in 1961, HMR(M)-461 participated as the primary recovery vehicle for NASA AeroBee Rocket launches at Wallops Island, Virginia In February 1962, HMR(M)-461 was redesignated Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron-461 (HMH-461).

Jerome F. Lederer

In 1967, following the deaths of three astronauts at the Kennedy Space Center, NASA appointed him director of the Office of Manned Space Flight Safety for the Apollo Program.

John G. Linvill

John Linvill was Chairman of the board of TSI, served on the boards of other Silicon Valley corporations, and led technical committees for the National Research Council, NASA, and the IEEE.

Lester R. Stone, Jr.

His mother Doris lent the medal to U.S. Army officer and NASA astronaut Douglas H. Wheelock to take on his June 2010 launch to the International Space Station.

Manned Maneuvering Unit

The Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) is an astronaut propulsion unit that was used by NASA on three Space Shuttle missions in 1984.

Maximum Absorbency Garment

A Maximum Absorbency Garment (MAG) is a piece of clothing NASA astronauts wear during liftoff, landing, and extra-vehicular activity (EVA) to absorb urine and feces.

NASA RealWorld-InWorld Engineering Design Challenge

NASA RealWorld-InWorld Engineering Design Challenge encourages students in grades 7–12 to explore and to build skills for successful careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM fields) through two phases of project-based learning and team competition.

NASAspaceflight.com

NASASpaceFlight.com is dedicated to expanding the public's awareness and respect for the space flight industry, which in turn is reflected in the many thousands of space industry members on the site, ranging from NASA to Lockheed Martin, Boeing, United Space Alliance and the commercial space flight arena.

Neutral buoyancy simulation as a training aid

NASA determined that training for EVA tasks required further development.

Oakland Colegio Campestre

Colegio Oakland (Oakland School) attends the Space School program since 2009 at Space Center Houston, leading Colombian Student participation of NASA’s (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) educational programs, encouraging young people to gain an interest in physics, engineering, space science and STEM subjects, science, technology, engineering and maths.

Operation Luna

The IRS (Inquisition for Revenue Securement) and NASA (National Astral Spellcraft Administration) also become involved.

Orlan space suit

They have been used for spacewalks (EVAs) in the Russian space program, the successor to the Soviet space program, and by space programs of other countries, including NASA.

Plasma receiver

NASA provided recordings of these interplanetary and outer space plasma vibrations to composer Terry Riley and Kronos quartet founder David Harrington, which inspired the composition of "Sun Rings", a multimedia 85-minute piece for string quartet and choir.

Robert Kraichnan

From 1962 on, he was supported by research grants and worked as a freelance consultant for the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Princeton University, the Office of Naval Research, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and NASA.

SETI Institute

The SETI Institute’s public outreach efforts include working with teachers and students in promoting science education and the teaching of evolution, working with NASA on exploration missions such as Kepler and SOFIA, and producing a weekly science program: Big Picture Science.

Shire of Esperance

The fine was paid in April 2009, when radio show host Scott Barley of Highway Radio raised the funds from his morning show listeners, and paid the fine on behalf of NASA.

Space Island Group

They plan to accomplish this through the use of technologies, vehicles and procedures developed by NASA and aerospace companies over the last 25 years.

Standby

Standby, the term NASA uses in air-to-ground radio communications for expressing "please wait"

The Orchestral Tubular Bells

Excerpts from the album were featured in the 1979 NASA film, The Space Movie.

Windows on Earth

Additional partners include the Challenger Learning Center and NASA's Johnson Space Center.

Wojciech Rostafiński

He was manager of advanced research projects at NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland Ohio, contributed to the theory of aeronautics and applied mathematics, listed in Scientific Citation Index.


Boundary layer suction

In the 1960s, NASA experimented with this concept with the Northrop X-21, a converted Douglas WB-66D.

Brave Saint Saturn

With this in mind, the band used NASA recordings and electronic samples on their first two albums.

Chatter Telephone

In 1985, Fisher-Price offered to donate a Chatter Telephone, Rock A Stack, and Activity Center to NASA for Senator Jake Garn to play with while on the STS-51-D space shuttle mission.

Christopher Scolese

Scolese was chosen to succeed Rex Geveden as NASA Associate Administrator at the end of July 2007.

CM Abdulla Moulavi

One of his junior colleagues remembers the smile and pleasure of a true scientist he saw in the face of Qazi when he explained for them the news about dismissal of Pluto from the planet family around the Sun, after reading a latest NASA journal about it.

Donald C. Backer

Backer then took post-doctoral positions first at NRAO in Charlottesville, Virginia (1971–1973), and then at NASA/GSFC in Greenbelt, Maryland (1973–1975).

Dry suit

Modern dry suits have a waterproof zipper for entry and exit which was originally developed by NASA to hold air inside astronaut space suits.

Finnish Meteorological Institute

The institute has been a part of several high-profile NASA and ESA missions, such as Phoenix, Mars Science Laboratory, Rosetta and BepiColombo, in addition to leading a lander mission of their own, MetNet.

Flometrics

The Pistonless pump is a low pressure pump system originally designed to support NASA projects with the Crew Exploration Vehicle.

George Zames

In 1969, it was announced that NASA ERC was to be closed, and Zames joined the newly established Department of Transportation Research Center in 1970.

Gingin Observatory

The telescopes primary objective is to photograph gamma ray bursts in the Universe and does this with two NASA satellites, the Swift and Glast.

Grumman OV-1 Mohawk

Texas Air Museum in Slaton, Texas has a modified OV-1D that was used by NASA that is on loan from the Museum of Naval Aviation.

Harlan J. Smith Telescope

The telescope was completed in 1968 with substantial NASA assistance, and is named after Harlan James Smith, the first Texas director of McDonald Observatory.

High Altitude Water Cherenkov Experiment

HAWC is a joint collaboration between a large number of American and Mexican universities and scientific institutions, including UNAM, Los Alamos National Laboratory and the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center.

Il mondo della luna

The Gotham Chamber Opera presented Il mondo della luna at the Hayden Planetarium in New York City in January 2010, transforming the planetarium into an opera house using the 180-degree dome and projections courtesy of NASA; the director was Diane Paulus.

Information Centre for History and Technology, Peenemünde

In the mid-1960s, building on his technical experience from Peenemünde, Wernher von Braun was able to design the Saturn V rocket for NASA that was used to fly to the moon.

James C. Fletcher

During his second administration at NASA, Fletcher was largely involved in efforts to recover from the Space Shuttle Challenger accident.

John Beck Hofmann

He has also created music used in multiple television shows, such as FX's "Nip/Tuck", MTV's "The Real World", Travel Channel's "Eye of the Beholder" and multiple NASA documentaries.

K. R. Sridhar

The Laboratory was asked by NASA to undertake research into how life could be made sustainable on Mars.

Lockheed Star Clipper

NASA supported the "classic" flyback design until 1971, when the maximum development budget was cut in half by the Office of Management and Budget, from about $10 to $5 billion.

Loop heat pipe

LHPs were first flight demonstrated on the NASA space shuttle in 1997 with STS-83 and STS-94.

Macarthur Astronomy Forum

Dr Gregory Chamitoff, a NASA astronaut, is scheduled to speak about his experiences on the International Space Station on Wednesday 18th June.

McDonnell Douglas

Douglas also gained contracts from NASA, notably for part of the enormous Saturn V rocket.

Melba Roy Mouton

She started working for NASA In 1959, after working for the Army Map Service and the Census Bureau.

Mercury-Atlas 1

NASA's Owen Maynard, who was involved in Mercury systems engineering, led the recovery of the MA-1 capsule from the sea-floor (in which he performed a 30-foot free-dive to find one particular missing component of the capsule).

Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicle

Space Exploration Vehicle, a modular spacecraft/rover being developed by NASA

Neuffer

Judith Neuffer (born 1948), United States Naval Aviator and NASA administrator

Owen K. Garriott

After leaving NASA in June 1986, Garriott consulted for various aerospace companies and served as a member of several NASA and National Research Council Committees.

Perlan Project

Einar Enevoldson, former NASA test pilot and originator of The Perlan Project, sought to demonstrate the feasibility of riding these stratospheric standing mountain waves.

Pete Worden

During the 2004 Congressional Session he worked as a Congressional Fellow with the Office of Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), where he served as Senator Brownback’s chief advisor on NASA and space issues.

Planet finder

Terrestrial Planet Finder, a NASA project for a telescope system to detect extrasolar terrestrial planets

Purdue University School of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Previous speakers include Michael D. Griffin, former NASA administrator and John Gedmark, co-founder of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation and Purdue alumnus.

Quartetto Gelato

The quartet's CDs have literally been heard around the world - Canadian astronaut Dr. Robert Thirsk took their first two CDs with him during his NASA flight on board the space shuttle Columbia.

Raúl Cuero

In 2013, an El Espectador investigation alleged Cuero's curriculum vitae mixed in trivial publications with his peer-reviewed work, listed publications that did not appear to exist, misstated his invention record and employment at NASA and possibly fabricated several awards and honors.

Rodrigo de Triana

NASA's Deep Space Climate Observatory, a satellite originally intended to provide a near-continuous view of the entire Earth, was initially named Triana, after Rodrigo de Triana.

Saturn-Shuttle

But because of the need to keep costs down and to allow President Richard Nixon to approve the shuttle program in 1972, NASA decided to utilize segmented solid rocket boosters similar to those used on the Titan III rocket instead of the S-IC, thus ending the Saturn program after the initial Saturn V order was completed.

SpaceWire

Some NASA projects using it include the James Webb Space Telescope, Swift's Burst Alert Telescope, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, LCROSS, the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R), and the SCaN Testbed, previously know as the Communications, Navigation, and Networking Reconfigurable Testbed (CoNNeCT).

ST5

Space Technology 5, a NASA test of ten new microsatellite technologies

Surface Water Ocean Topography Mission

It is one of 15 missions that the 2007 National Research Council’s decadal survey of Earth science recommends NASA implement in the coming decade.

Swiss Museum of Transport

The Pallet, nicknamed Elvis, was used during the 8-day STS-46 mission, 31 July - 8 August 1992, when ESA astronaut Claude Nicollier was on board Shuttle Atlantis to deploy ESA's European Retrievable Carrier (Eureca) scientific mission and the joint NASA/Italian Space Agency Tethered Satellite System (TSS-1).

TACA Airlines

The plane landed without further damage on a grass levee at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility.

Thomas Baron

After the Apollo 1 fire Baron wrote a 500-page report on NASA safety protocol violations, which he gave to Rep. Olin E. Teague's investigation at Cape Kennedy, Florida on April 21, 1967.

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

Since 2009 Takao Doi, a former Japanese astronaut and a veteran of two NASA space shuttle missions, is chief of Space Applications section of the Office.

Vanna Bonta

In 2013, a haiku by Vanna Bonta was among top three selections to be launched to the planet Mars on a NASA spaceship for the MAVEN mission.

WFF

Wallops Flight Facility - a NASA facility located on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, primary use is a rocket launch site to support science and exploration missions for NASA and other federal agencies

X-ray astronomy satellites

The Global Geospace Science (GGS) Polar Satellite was a NASA science spacecraft launched at 06:23:59.997 EST on February 24, 1996 aboard a McDonnell Douglas Delta II 7925-10 rocket from launch pad 2W at Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc, California, to observe the Earth's polar magnetosphere.