JPL BLOGS
Inside Views on Outer Space
Hear from scientists, engineers and other experts as they offer a fascinating look at JPL missions, science and history.
Julie Cooper is a certified archivist who identifies and processes collections for the JPL Archives, and helps researchers find information about the history of JPL.
Slice of History | August 13, 2020
Mask Training in 1957
Original text from Lab-Oratory, December 1957, page 8
"AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION...you know the pitch. It's old but it never goes out of style. The best way to handle fumes, gas, air pollutants, etc., is not to have them in the first place. But if they do occur through accident you sometimes need some air -- fast! If it's in a tank and mask close by, you must be able to use it. Thus, the reason for the activity above, which took place next to the Fire House a few weeks ago.
Jack Lawless, Plant Protection and Safety (in the middle looking like an over-dressed skin diver) has been supplying customers to James Flannery, a representative of Scott Aviation Corp., for instruction on the proper procedure on handling the Scott Breath Air Pak. Left to right: Dr. Robert Poynter (Chemistry), Flannery, Lawless, Roy Vincent (Plant Protection and Safety) and Julia Whittick (Chemistry).
TAGS: TRAINING, SCOTT AVIATION, MASK
Slice of History | July 13, 2020
Remembering Dr. Peter T. Lyman
This month we remember Dr. Peter T. Lyman, who passed away in May 2020, with a series of photos from his tenure as Deputy Director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Dr. Lyman joined JPL in 1963, after serving in the Merchant Marine and Military Sea Transport Service. He earned three degrees, including a master's in naval architecture and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. He worked on several different Mars missions at the beginning of his career, then became a manager with increasing responsibility in spacecraft design, information systems, mission management, and the Deep Space Network. Dr. Lyman became Deputy Director in 1987 and served in that position until he retired in 1992. He passed away on May 6, 2020 at the age of 90.
Explore the archives at https://jpl-nasa.libguides.com/archives.
TAGS: PETER LYMAN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, JPL
Slice of History | February 1, 2018
Dr. Henry Richter working on Explorer 1 in 1957
In 2018 JPL celebrates the 60th anniversary of America’s first satellite, Explorer 1.
Henry Richter started working at JPL in 1955 as an engineer and Supervisor for the New Circuit Elements Group. Later he was a Staff Engineer for the Deep Space Network and then Chief of the Space Instruments Section (322). During the Explorer Project Dr. Richter was project manager for the satellite design, in charge of JPL experiments for the International Geophysical Year, and was liaison between the Satellite Instrumentation Group and the Operations and Data Groups. He published a book in 2015 –America’s Leap into Space: My Time at JPL and the First Explorer Satellites.
On Wednesday, January 31 at 3:30, Dr. Richter will present his JPL Story in the Hub (111-104), followed at 4:30 by a book signing. He’ll share the story of JPL’s role working for the Army/Caltech and of the remarkable people who were part of the Explorer team. During the late 1950s, JPL extended rocket engineering to spacecraft design, using components that were on the cutting edge of technology. When they were finally given the chance to combine the instruments, upper stages, and launch vehicle, they accomplished the task in just a few months.
The JPL documentary Explorer 1 and the 1958 film X Minus 80 Days will be shown in the 111 Hub on Tuesday, January 30 from 12:00-1:15.
Explore the archives at https://jpl-nasa.libguides.com/archives.
TAGS: HENRY RICHTER, DEEP SPACE NETWORK, JPL
Slice of History | September 27, 2017
Orrery
An orrery was built for NASA/JPL by Pre-Mec Engineering, Inc. and was designed by JPL engineer Raymond A. McCreary (Design Section, 356 – part of the Engineering Mechanics Division).
The scale of Earth and its moon was approximately 1 cm = 6000 km, but the scale of orbits, the Sun, and other moons varied.
Computer animations did not exist in the early 1960s, and like a trajectory model, this orrery helped engineers plan, visualize, and demonstrate the expected flight path, flyby, or landing to be made by a spacecraft. Missions in development at this time were Ranger and Surveyor (lunar missions), Mariner 2 to Venus, and Mariner 4 to Mars.
Explore the archives at https://jpl-nasa.libguides.com/archives.
TAGS: ORRERY, TRAJECTORY MODEL, SOLAR SYSTEM
Slice of History | September 6, 2017
Mariner Jupiter Saturn 1977
In August and September 1977, two Voyager spacecraft were launched on a Grand Tour of the solar system. In 1973, the mission had been named Mariner Jupiter-Saturn 1977 (MJS ‘77) and was intended to go only as far as Jupiter and Saturn.
In March 1977 the mission name was changed to Voyager. In October 1978, a Voyager Fact Sheet mentioned the possibility of sending Voyager 2 to Uranus and Neptune. It would happen only if the primary science objectives were met at Saturn first. Even though the extended mission was not certain before launch, Voyager engineers (unofficially) designed and built the spacecraft to be capable of navigating to Uranus and Neptune, and surviving the longer trip. On-board computers were reprogrammed during the voyage, giving the spacecraft the ability to successfully return many more images and much more information than were expected. It’s unlikely the Voyager team imagined that both spacecraft would still be operating 40 years after launch.
For more information about the history of JPL, contact the JPL Archives for assistance. [Archival and other sources: Various Voyager and JPL History web pages; Voyager Fact Sheet, 10/6/1978; Section 260 photo album and index.
TAGS: VOYAGER, MARINER, URANUS, NEPTUNE, GRAND TOUR, JUPITER
Slice of History | July 5, 2017
Mars Pathfinder Rover Team, 1994
In December 1994, a group of Mars Pathfinder team members gathered for a photo with the Sojourner Rover model.
In December 1994, a group of Mars Pathfinder team members gathered for a photo with the Sojourner Rover model. They were working on rover technology development efforts about two years before the anticipated launch date.
On February 1, 1995, Mars Day was held on the JPL mall – an event for JPLers, schoolchildren, and visitors. The Office of Mars Exploration sponsored presentations, booths, and demonstrations of technology from Mars Pathfinder and Mars Global Surveyor. Mars Exploration Program Manager Donna Shirley said, “We wanted people from other projects and those who aren’t involved in our office to see what we’re up to, what kind of technologies we’ve developed. We’re excited about what we’re doing and we wanted to share that excitement.”
If you would like to help the Archives staff identify people in this photo, please see the partial list at https://pub-lib.jpl.nasa.gov/docushare/dsweb/Services/Document-2749 (click on title to open PDF document).
For more information about the history of JPL, contact the JPL Archives for assistance. [Archival and other sources: Collection JPL508, various issues of Universe, photo index, Allen Sirotta, Brian Wilcox, and David Braun.]
TAGS: MARS, PATHFINDER, ROVER, TEAM, 1994
Slice of History | June 2, 2017
Deep Space Network/Space Flight Operations Exhibit
In October 1967 Mariner 5 had just reached Venus, JPL was looking forward to the 10th anniversary of Explorer 1 and the launches of Surveyor 6 and 7 to the Moon, and Mariner 6 and 7 were in development.
When visitors were escorted into the lobby of the Space Flight Operations Facility (SFOF), they saw the reception/security desk, a waiting area, and this new exhibit. It explained the flow of data from a spacecraft to the Deep Space Network stations (or Deep Space Instrumentation Facilities) to the SFOF. A series of photos showed various work stations in the SFOF, as well as the technology being used in the facility (in the main operations area and behind the scenes). During 1967 and 1968, JPL hosted visits by NASA staff, members of Congress, foreign dignitaries, JPL contractors/partners, former employees, student groups, professional groups, celebrities, and the press.
For more information about the history of JPL, contact the JPL Archives for assistance. [Archival sources: 318 and P photo albums and index.]
TAGS: DEEP SPACE NETWORK, SPACE FLIGHT OPERATIONS EXHIBIT, MARINER, EXPLORER 1, SURVEYOR
Slice of History | March 1, 2017
Titan Saturn Mission Artwork, 1976
In the 1970s and 80s, before advanced computer graphics, artist Ken Hodges was hired by JPL to create paintings that depicted many different missions – some in the planning stages and some only imagined.
Bruce Murray became JPL's Director in 1976, and he advocated new missions (Purple Pigeons) that would have enough pizzazz to attract public and scientific support. Hodges painted many of the Purple Pigeon images, including this scene of a Saturn orbiter with a lander going to the surface of Saturn's largest moon Titan. This artwork was done almost 30 years before Cassini's Huygens Probe reached the surface of Titan. Cassini was launched in 1997 and spent seven years traveling to Saturn. The probe was released in December 2004, and landed on Titan on January 14, 2005.
For more information about the history of JPL, contact the JPL Archives for assistance. [Archival and other sources: P-numbered photo albums and indexes, Cassini and Huygens web pages.]
TAGS: SATURN, COMPUTER GRAPHICS, KEN HODGES, CASSINI, TITAN
Slice of History | February 1, 2017
Ten-Foot Space Simulator Thermal Testing
In early 1989, a series of thermal tests were conducted on the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) Instrument, which was part of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS).
The MLS System Thermal Vacuum (STV) test program was designed to evaluate its thermal integrity and functions in a simulated space environment. It included a 24-hour bakeout, six phases of thermal balance tests, and a thermal cycling test of the instrument in flight configuration, using a variety of heaters and lamps.
This photo shows the Ten-Foot Space Simulator located in Building 248, with a quartz lamp array approximately seven feet tall. This array faced the primary reflector during testing and helped to heat the chamber to 80°C (176°F). The vacuum chamber shroud was lowered over the test fixture, and the chamber walls and floor were maintained at -100°C to -179°C during testing.
For more information about the history of JPL, contact the JPL Archives for assistance.
TAGS: MICROWAVE LIMB SOUNDER (MLS) INSTRUMENT, THERMAL TESTS, SPACE SIMULATOR
Slice of History | December 1, 2016
JPL’s First Digital Computer
In January 1953, JPL was in the market for its first digital computer.
After investigating the possibilities, a site visit was made to Consolidated Engineering Corporation (CEC) in Pasadena and the CEC Model 30-203 digital computer, shown in this photo, was eventually selected. The prototype at CEC was given the project number 36-101. JPL and the National Bureau of Standards were the first two customers to order the computer – the one ordered by JPL was 36-102, and the one for NBS was 36-103.
JPL's computer was finally delivered and operational in July 1954. It cost approximately $135,000 (more than $1 million in 2016 dollars). That did not include the operator's console, paper tape input and output, punch card unit, or other related equipment. It featured magnetic drum storage of about 4000 words (a "word" being a number or command) and a word length of 10 decimal digits. It contained more than 1,500 vacuum tubes.
For more information about the history of JPL, contact the JPL Archives for assistance. [Archival and other sources: Section 371 photo albums, Combined Bimonthly Summary No. 33, Datatron Chronology.)
TAGS: JPL'S FIRST DIGITAL COMPUTER, MODEL 30-203, PASADENA, CONSOLIDATED ENGINEERING CORPORTATION (CEC), MAGNETIC DRUM STORAGE