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When viewed from above, the atmosphere is a mere thin layer, dividing Earth from space. The 20th century has seen brave heroes conquer flight through this fragile envelope, then break through it, reaching for the stars… loosening the embrace of gravity to explore other worlds. At the dawn of the new millennium, space has become more than a destination. It is a place to live and work.
From space, Earth appears to have a never-ending horizon. Each newly discovered horizon brings new challenges and opportunities . . . improving air travel . . . making space more accessible . . . continuing the human exploration and development of space... increasing our understanding of the Earth and expanding our knowledge of the universe.
 But before the next generation of explorers can cross these new horizons, technological horizons remain to be conquered.
Since 1941, the men and women of the NASA Glenn Research Center have been the pioneers and innovators . . . expanding horizons and opening frontiers for our explorers in air and space; inspiring and serving America.
Building upon the knowledge and experience that have fueled many of the great achievements of NASA, the research conducted at the Glenn Research Center continually addresses the challenges we face in the next five to ten years. The rewards for such patience can be stunning.
NASA is an investment in America's future. Whether studying new communication bandwidths, soot accretion inside a furnace, or how liquids become solids, this knowledge-expanding research is the engine that helps drive the American economy. Yet, even the most focused project could be the one to grow into the technological breakthrough of the next generation.
NASA Glenn is a place for those striving toward horizons yet unseen. While others turn away from the harsh glare of uncertainty, the Center's researchers harvest sunlight to power the way we live on Earth, the way we live in space, and the robotic explorers we send to our neighboring planets. They work to improve flight safety, develop more durable structures and materials, and reduce the costs of air travel.
The work done in NASA Glenn's unique, world class facilities pushes existing technology to its limits and breaks through to new levels of exploration and invention.
But, not all facilities have walls. Knowledge and experience can also build virtual test beds for new theories and ideas.
Aeronautics
In our increasingly global economy, air transport for people and goods will triple within 25 years. Economic growth will depend on advancing the frontiers of aviation. The driving force behind that advance is propulsion -- building better engines. NASA Glenn researchers are working with the commercial aviation industry to develop safer, more reliable propulsion and control systems, quieter, more fuel-efficient engines with fewer harmful emissions, and less flammable fuels. Competitive new propulsion systems will revitalize the light aircraft market and make flying on four to six passenger aircraft smoother and more affordable.
Advanced Space Transportation
 To increase access to space, Glenn's researchers are working to reduce payload launch costs and help make the rocket planes of science fiction become science fact. They are working on designs for low-risk vehicles that will operate like airplanes as they climb through the atmosphere, then switch to rocket modes to reach orbit at 25 times the speed of sound. NASA is pursuing two different approaches to accomplish this. Glenn is leading the efforts for the turbine-based, combined-cycle approach and supporting the rocket-based, combined-cycle approach. These technologies could reduce payload costs to only hundreds of dollars per pound. Such cost savings would make space a more viable workplace and a truly accessible habitat.
Human Exploration and Development of Space
As people from around the world continue their exploration and development of space aboard the International Space Station, they will rely upon the NASA Glenn-designed power system to harness the sun's energy. It will contain the world's highest performing, most efficient solar arrays and energy storage technologies.
Biological and Physical Processes
 The space environment provides the opportunity to study common natural phenomena and new technology without the masking effects of the Earth's gravity. For example, although combustion provides 85% of the United States' energy production, it is still not well-understood. NASA Glenn's ground-based facilities and its microgravity experiment racks in space allow researchers to unlock these mysteries. A better understanding of combustion and fluids processes could lead to improvements in fire safety, fuel efficiency and less pollution here on Earth.
Earth and Space Science and Applications
Today's information-based culture wouldn't be possible without the vital links provided by space satellites. The cutting edge of this critical communications technology is being shaped at NASA Glenn, where researchers are developing new high data-rate information superhighways that seamlessly connect earth-space data networks.
To improve the reliability and longevity of our space data networks and to keep our Earth observatories in place, NASA Glenn is developing innovative propulsion methods for satellite positioning. Ion thrusters, once the stuff of science fiction, are now being used by industry for satellite stationkeeping, while NASA is using them as the primary propulsion source for deep space missions. The Center also continues to support exploration of the Solar System by providing new technologies that expand our knowledge of the universe.
The NASA Glenn Research Center continues to drive the engine of innovation, but who knows where the imagination, the science, and the engineering will lead? No matter where that next horizon is found, these pioneers and innovators will make it possible for us to travel beyond it. |
