Launch Pad Research Articles

‘I can literally change the world’: Longitudinal research on the impacts of the Champions of Caring Ambassadors Leadership Program

Few studies assess the long-term impacts of programs for teenagers designed to foster leadership and public service. Here we contact former participants in one such program, the Champions of Caring Ambassadors Leadership Program, to see how they may have been influenced in adulthood. We find that participants remember specific aspects of the program vividly, and they apply the lessons they learned as Ambassadors in their adult lives. Specifically, they have used the program as a launch pad into other leadership and service roles. They employ the practical and organization skills from the program, and they recall the sense of belonging and the value of meaningful interactions across race, social class, religion, and other social background characteristics. Finally, many saw the lessons learned during their time as Ambassadors a legacy they have incorporated into their adult lives. Many continue two decades later to be engaged in social justice activism.

Normal Accident Theory and Learning from Major Accidents at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

A review of NASA’s accident history through the lens of Normal Accident Theory (NAT) offers insights into the prospects for safety during the Artemis Program. NAT is applied to NASA’s four major human spaceflight accidents: the Apollo launch pad fire, Apollo 13, Challenger and Columbia. NAT predicts that in the complex and tightly coupled systems used for human spaceflight, an accident type known as the “normal accident”, is inevitable. These accidents are attributable to hidden system interactions that overwhelm the cognitive abilities of human operators and, thereby, escape detection. A review of the four official accident reports and supporting secondary analyses suggests NASA has had one such accident: Apollo 13. It was also the only major accident without injury and a successful recovery effort. NAT would categorize the other three as component failure accidents. Unlike normal accidents, component failure accidents are not inevitable. They stem from an organization’s failure to appropriately monitor, assess and mitigate the risk associated with a faulty component. In such cases, NAT would ask if production pressures, often rooted in scheduling and resource constraints, were a factor.Production pressures are ultimately imposed on organizations through the exercise of power. These pressures impede an organization’s ability to adequately assess risk and increase the likelihood of component failure accidents. The substantial organizational literature on NASA’s human spaceflight accidents has yielded potential remedies to help mitigate the risks associated with production pressure. This paper discusses these remedies and their potential safety benefits. It also proposes a modification to a safety governance mechanism recommended by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB). The resulting changes could help NASA, and other organizations administering high risk technologies, further improve safety.

Simulation of Launch Pad Atomization for Military Weapon System

This study aims to optimize three critical parameters (inclination angle, hook lifting, and sparking) for a missile launching system by combining precise mathematical methods, IoT concepts, and advanced sensor technologies. The system uses an Inertial Navigation System (INS) in conjunction with gyro and proximity sensors to ensure accurate target interception by carefully determining the optimal launch angle. The Internet of Things concept is integrated effortlessly, with a clever coordinating WiFi networking, weight estimation, and sensor data processing for real-time cloud data flow. Security protocols protect the integrity of the data, and a reliable power supply system guarantees reliable operation. The project incorporates both Hot Start and Cold Start functionalities, enabling dependable launches and prompt adaptations to dynamic changes. Flexible igniting mechanisms such as Chemical, Electrical, and Electro-Chemical systems are available, and reliable and secure missile launches are prioritized with safety features like Spark Damping Inner Tube Coating and Moisture-Resistant igniting. All things considered, this project prioritizes security, dependability, and adaptability while addressing critical elements required for a sophisticated and efficient missile launching system.

Investigation on supersonic jet noise reduction by water injection: Effects of water injection parameters

In order to protect the payload and the rocket structure from severe vibrations, water injection is commonly used on launch pads to reduce the high noise level radiated by supersonic plumes at lift-off. Even if this technique is widely used, the mechanisms behind sound reduction remain unclear. Sound reduction occurs due to multiple phenomena, each of them having different effects on the jet noise. Experiments based on acoustic measurements have been carried out on a hot supersonic jet on MARTEL facility (Mach number of 3 and a total temperature of 1700 K) to deeper identify the effect of evaporation and water injection parameters. Water flow rate, water injection speed and injection distance to the nozzle have been tested independently to identify the most important water injection parameters. It appears that water flow rate is the most important parameter to decrease noise level and that injecting water at high speed results in noise increase in the downstream direction. Results also highlight the importance of having liquid droplets at the end of the potential core to reduce noise.

277 Impact of Initiating a Stroke “Launch Pad” on Timeliness of Thrombolytic Therapy

277 Impact of Initiating a Stroke “Launch Pad” on Timeliness of Thrombolytic Therapy

Unlocking Organizational Innovativeness: Exploring the Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation and Financing in an Emerging Economy

Organizations and small startups play a significant role in improving the economic progress of newly industrialized countries. Their contribution to economic growth depends mainly on their innovativeness. Based on the resource-based view theory, this study seeks to understand how these enterprises use internal and external resources to uncover opportunities for innovative practices. Specifically, we examine entrepreneurial orientation (innovativeness, autonomy, risk-taking, competitive aggressiveness and proactiveness) and external financing for ventures. Through a comprehensive survey encompassing 200 ventures in Pakistan, this study reveals the significant impact of three dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation (innovativeness, risk-taking, and competitive aggressiveness) and entrepreneurial finance on organizational innovativeness. This finding is important because it contributes to the growing body of literature on entrepreneurial finance and shows how financing influences innovativeness in startups, thus advancing knowledge within this field. Although the study uses a small sample, it serves as a launch pad for further studies to explore different forms of capital and their unique effects on organizational innovativeness

Identification of Acoustic Sources on Antares Launch Pad Using Microphone Phased Array

A microphone phased array (MPA) was mounted in the vicinity of pad 0A of Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport located on NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility to identify the evolution of acoustic sources from hold-down to an elevation of ∼200 ft during the launch of an Antares rocket (Northrop Grumman [NG]-19). The MPA was equipped with 70 piezo-resistive dynamic pressure sensors, a visible-band and an infrared-band camera, and a two-axis accelerometer. The noise map demonstrated an effective use of the water injection system to attenuate noise from plume impingement on the pad. They also pointed out the outlet of the exhaust duct, through which the steam and plume mixture ejected out, to be the primary noise source during a significant interval of time. A comparison with prior such measurements during the maiden launch of the Antares vehicle in 2013 showed significant attenuation of noise sources during the NG-19 launch. A strong source caused by the impingement of plume on the pad surface during the 2013 launch was found to be attenuated in 2023. The results showed the utility of an MPA in quantifying the impact of changes made to a launch pad.

Artificial Intelligence and Public Health: Addressing Pharmacy Practice Challenges and Policy Issues

This research study focuses on the induction of artificial intelligence into pharmacy practice, including challenges associated with AI application and policy issues. The aim is to acquire how to harness AI in a time-saving manner to enhance service at a pharmacy, coupled with an understanding of its potential pitfalls and governance arrangements. It included government reports, systematic literature reviews of peer-reviewed studies, and policy papers spanning the years 2021–2024. All data required were derived from literature searches in PubMed, Science Direct, Springer, and Google Scholar. The results show that artificial intelligence can contribute so much to the practice of pharmacy by making the drug-dispensing procedure ideal to guarantee better patient care and prevent human mistakes. Coupled with this promising potential were concerns related to data privacy, rigorous regulatory frameworks, and job losses. This will require the development of clear policies and guidelines in the regulatory framework so that AI can be ethically and effectively applied in the pharmacy practice. While the present work adds to a growing literature on AI in health care, it also has the potential to act as a launch pad for future research toward working out the challenges identified herein and thinking out newer opportunities for such innovation.

Experimental Investigation on Transmission of Sound in To Metallic Enclosures During Static Firing Tests Of Solid Rocket Motor

Satellite launch vehicle during lift-off generates intense dynamic environment mainly the acoustic noise, which in turn acts on the nearby launch pad systems. Reliable operation of these launch pad ground systems needs to be ensured by safeguarding against these dynamic loads with adequate protection measures. For future launch vehicle programs where the launch turnaround time is a crucial aspect, sensitive systems like ground check-out electronic packages are planned to be placed adjacent to the launch vehicle mounting pedestal on the launch pad to ensure minimal time for preparation. The enclosures housing these electronic packages needs to be configured to minimize the transmission of acoustic levels being imposed from the lift-off induced noise. In the present work, an experimental investigation is carried out on acoustic transmission characteristics of metallic enclosures of different material and thickness during the static firing tests of solid rocket motors. Acoustics generated from the supersonic jet noise has a wide frequency band from 100 to 10,000 Hz with sound power peaking near 1,000 Hz. The electronic components and packages, which are generally vulnerable to the high frequency noise, need to be protected from this lift-off induced acoustics. The enclosures are placed in the far field of this jet noise and the transmission loss measurements are obtained. Variation of transmission loss with material and thickness of the enclosures are studied with specific attention to the internal acoustic modes and the coincidence phenomena. Subsequently, the enclosures treated with acoustic blankets of different thickness are investigated to verify its influence on internal acoustic modes and also the additional reduction in transmission of sound in the dominant frequency band of supersonic jet noise.

Melodic diversity in Iraqi rural singing

Melodic diversity is an essential pillar in Iraqi country singing because of its highly influential qualities and features in singing performance methods in a manner consistent with the nature and setting of popular heritage in the Iraqi countryside.Hence, the researcher attempts to study melodic diversity in one of the important lyrical phases, which is "Subbi Mood " as a lyrical style discovered by the Iraqi structure with high levels of expressive performance accuracy.The researcher seeks to study this topic by formulating the question as follows: What are the mechanisms of melodic diversity in Subbi Mood? The significance of the research and the need to determine its goal are thus represented as follows: Detecting the mechanisms of melodic diversity in Subbi Mood, the researcher presents the most important terms contained in the subject matter of the study, that is melodic diversity to be determined linguistically, philosophically and terminologically. The researcher then moves to define the terms procedurally in accordance with the research procedures. Chapter Two, entitled “The Theoretical framework” contains two sections, one entitling, “The Concept of Melodic Diversity,” and the other, “The Singing of the Iraqi countryside: A Study in Origin and Evolution,” all the way to topics that involve the literature review and the most key conclusions resulted from the theoretical framework.As for Chapter Three, the researcher addresses the research community and its sample in a way that meets the goal of the research and its requirements, not to mention the use of the research methodology represented by the descriptive analytical approach, leading to the research tool through which the researcher can analyze the research sample.In Chapter Four, the researcher reached the most important findings from the sample analysis, including (1) musical scale: The Subbi mood is built from the melodic scale of Nahawand, which raises the sixth scale degree of the natural Nahawand when ascending and returns it to the standard scale of the Nahawand when descending, (2) melodic range of the seventh is built from the seventh minor scale. The researcher then seeks to interpret the findings under the heading, “Conclusions,” that includes some of the following points:1) The lyric poem takes Subbi mood as a launch pad to express the the spirit of the country environment.2) The seventh minor scale gives the singer the ability to perform Subbi mood easily and conveniently. As the end of the Chapter, the researcher comes up with key recommendations, suggestions and most important sources and books cited by the researcher in this study.

A computational two-scale approach to cancellous bone remodelling

We propose a novel two-scale (meso-macro-scale) approach to computationally capture cancellous bone remodelling allowing for efficient and effective numerical implementation. Therein, the macro-scale is governed by the well-established kinematics and kinetics of one-scale continuum bone remodelling. However, the constitutive behaviour is not postulated phenomenologically at the macro-scale, but rather follows from the meso-scale. There, for the sake of computational efficiency, the trabecular architecture is idealised as a truss network with the cross-sectional area of the trabeculae adapting to mechanical loading. Then, the meso- and the macro-scale are coupled through up- and down-scaling. Computational results on benchmark problems from bio-mechanics demonstrate that the proposed two-scale approach is effective from a modelling perspective and efficient from a computational perspective. In particular, it automatically captures anisotropy resulting from the irregular trabecular architecture at the meso-scale, and, most importantly, enables the direct investigation of different trabecular structures at the meso-scale, thereby serving as a virtual “magnifiying glass”. As an outlook, the proposed two-scale approach to cancellous bone remodelling provides an excellent launch pad for further extension, e.g., by considering more complex trabecular architectures and/or through inclusion of micro-scale bone cellular activities.

Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, Race, Racism and the South African Nexus

ABSTRACT TIME magazine film critic Stephanie Zacharek avers: “ … when Luhrmann first announced he was making an Elvis movie, back in 2014, the question might have been ‘Why now?’ But in 2022— especially now that we’ve seen how politically, racially, and culturally fractured our nation could become—the many faces of Elvis form a sun mosaic that raises more questions than it answers” (74). Using Luhrmann’s film as my launch pad, I explore the problematics of race in the lebenswelt of Elvis Presley while forging a nexus with racism in South Africa where a Presley movie was banned.

Low-Speed Space Launch System Computational Fluid Dynamics: A Comprehensive Overview

In this review paper, low-speed computational work from NASA Langley Research Center in support of the Space Launch System (SLS) is discussed. This information includes both historical and present efforts with the Kestrel computational fluid dynamics solver. The low-speed aerodynamics of SLS is highly complex, and the analysis of the unsteady flowfield requires significant computational efforts. The SLS mission profile varies from the vehicle static on the launch pad through high-speed ascent. This study focuses on the prelaunch as well as liftoff and transition portions of the flight both in proximity to the launch tower and in isolation. High-alpha conditions, as large as 90 deg, result in a flowfield dominated by massive, large-scale flow separation and asymmetric vortices. High-fidelity solutions require an unsteady computational formulation to accurately capture the aerodynamics of the vehicle. A detailed discussion of the computational approach is presented, followed by key efforts to support the program, both historic and present, including information that has been either published previously or that has never before been published external to NASA.

Tunability of Microwave Frequency Using Spin Torque Nano Oscillator by the Generated Oersted Field with Tunable Free Layer

The current-induced magnetization precession dynamics provoked by the spin transfer torque (STT) in a spin valve device i.e. tri-layer device (commonly spin torque nano oscillator (STNO)) is investigated numerically by solving the governing Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert–Slonczewski (LLGS) equation. In this study, we have devised an STNO device made of EuO-based ferromagnetic alloy in free and fixed magnetic layers. The copper acts as a nonmagnetic spacer. Here, we have introduced the current induced Oesterd field (CIOF), which is generated when a spin-polarized current passes through the STNO device. In the device, we have tuned the free layer angle [Formula: see text] from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] as an increment of [Formula: see text]. For every individual [Formula: see text] ranging from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text], the generated Oersted field’s strength can be altered by increasing the STNO device’s diameter. Henceforth, it is apparent that the frequency tunability is achieved in the device for all the values of [Formula: see text]. The frequency and power of the device depend entirely on the material’s saturation magnetization, which inherently reflects the current density and coherence of spin-polarized DC. From the results, it is apparent that for a particular [Formula: see text], the frequency keeps increasing with the eventual decrease in power when we increase the strength of the Oersted field from 10[Formula: see text]kA/m to 50[Formula: see text]kA/m. By doing so, the maximum frequency can be tuned up to 212[Formula: see text]GHz for [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] as 50[Formula: see text]kA/m. The high frequency emitted by the device acts as a linchpin ingredient, as well as a launch pad element in much of scientific and technological point of view. It paves way for a new route in the areas such as high capacity, high precision, high density as well as the sensing applications.

Development of activation-tagged gain-of-functional mutants in indica rice line (BPT 5204) for sheath blight resistance.

The development of sheath blight (ShB) resistance varieties has been a challenge for scientists for long time in rice. Activation tagging is an efficient gain-of-function mutation approach to create novel phenotypes and to identify their underlying genes. In this study, a mutant population was developed employing activation tagging in the recalcitrant indica rice (Oryza sativa L.) cv. BPT 5204 (Samba Mahsuri) through activation tagging. In this study, we have generated more than 1000 activation tagged lines in indica rice, from these mutant population 38 (GFP- RFP+) stable Ds plants were generated through germinal transposition at T2 generation based on molecular analysis and seeds selected on hygromycin (50mg/L) containing medium segregation analyses confirmed that the transgene inherited as mendelian segregation ratio of 3:1 (3 resistant: 1 susceptible). Of them, five stable activation tagged Ds lines (M-Ds-1, M-Ds-2, M-Ds-3, M-Ds-4 and M-Ds-5) were selected based on phenotypic observation through screening for sheath blight (ShB) resistance caused by fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani (R. solani),. Among them, M-Ds-3 and M-Ds-5 lines showed significant resistance for ShB over other tagged lines and wild type (WT) plants. Furthermore, analysed for launch pad insertion through TAIL-PCR results and mapped on corresponding rice chromosomes. Flanking sequence and gene expression analysis revealed that the upregulation of glycoside hydrolase-OsGH or similar to Class III chitinase homologue (LOC_Os08g40680) in M-Ds-3 and a hypothetical protein gene (LOC_Os01g55000) in M-Ds-5 are potential candidate genes for sheath blight resistance in rice. In the present study, we developed Ac-Ds based ShB resistance gain-of-functional mutants through activation tagging in rice. These activation tagged mutant lines can be excellent sources for the development of ShB resistant cultivars in rice.

Measurements of rocket landing sonic booms from three SpaceX Falcon-9 booster landings

As commercial rocket companies reduce costs, a common strategy is to design reusable rockets. The recovery typically includes propulsively landing the first stage booster near the launch site or on an ocean platform. Because the booster returns at supersonic speeds, a sonic boom is produced. This paper analyzes measurements made of three SpaceX Falcon-9 booster landings at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Each measurement uses multiple microphones surrounding the launch and landing pads at distances varying between 300–25 000 m. The Falcon-9 sonic boom waveforms have three shocks, and all three are consistently measured at every single measurement location. Although the rise times increase with distance, the duration between the shocks shows a more complicated trend, with the farthest measurements sometimes having the same duration as the nearest measurements. Farther than 1 km, the sonic boom peak overpressure can exceed the peak launch noise overpressures. Farther than a few kilometers, the sound exposure level from the sonic booms can be comparable to the exposure during the entire 12 dB-down period for the launch noise. [Research funded in part by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and Vandenberg Space Force Base.]

The Busan International Film Festival

Jason Bechervaise examines the latest edition of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in the context of the external and internal problems that have plagued the festival over the past ten years, with a leadership crisis this spring once again putting the festival in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. This report explores BIFF’s curation of Korean cinema, with an emphasis on the festival’s importance as launch pad for young Korean filmmakers as well as how the festival’s programming, which now includes productions financed by streaming platforms, reflects the rapidly changing Korean film and media ecosystem.

Variation of Falcon 9 noise in the mid-field

The rapid launch cadence of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket provides the opportunity to study the relative consistency of noise radiation. Acoustical measurements of several Falcon 9 launches have been made on and near Vandenberg Space Force Base within 1 km of the launch pad. This paper compares collocated mid-field measurements from different Falcon 9 missions to begin to understand data variability as a function of launch and environmental conditions. One location 395 m from the pad has been measured over 5 times. This comparative analysis includes time-varying levels, spectra, and waveform statistics such as the pressure derivative skewness. Time periods of particular interest are liftoff, peak noise, and late into the launch when the vehicle is significantly downrange. [Work supported by USACE.]

Multi-sensor acoustic intensity analysis of the NG-19 Antares 230 launch

In August 2023, the Antares 230 successfully launched for the NG-19 resupply mission to the International Space Station. Acoustical data were collected from various locations surrounding the launch pad from 60-200 m away from the vehicle. Each measurement location was configured such that acoustic intensity could be determined for a wide range of frequencies. Intensity calculations are made using the phase and amplitude gradient estimate (PAGE) method for information past the spatial Nyquist frequency of the station configuration. For the analyses presented here, the PAGE method utilized the generic MATLAB phase unwrapping function. This paper will show intensity vectors as a function of frequency and time to estimate the approximate location of the sound source. A least-squares optimization routine is used for the intersection point of each stations’ intensity vector.

'Humans think outside the pixels' - Radiologists' perceptions of using artificial intelligence for breast cancer detection in mammography screening in a clinical setting.

This study aimed to explore radiologists' views on using an artificial intelligence (AI) tool named ScreenTrustCAD with Philips equipment) as a diagnostic decision support tool in mammography screening during a clinical trial at Capio Sankt Göran Hospital, Sweden. We conducted semi-structured interviews with seven breast imaging radiologists, evaluated using inductive thematic content analysis. We identified three main thematic categories: AI in society, reflecting views on AI's contribution to the healthcare system; AI-human interactions, addressing the radiologists' self-perceptions when using the AI and its potential challenges to their profession; and AI as a tool among others. The radiologists were generally positive towards AI, and they felt comfortable handling its sometimes-ambiguous outputs and erroneous evaluations. While they did not feel that it would undermine their profession, they preferred using it as a complementary reader rather than an independent one. The results suggested that breast radiology could become a launch pad for AI in healthcare. We recommend that this exploratory work on subjective perceptions be complemented by quantitative assessments to generalize the findings.