NASA Facts

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Dryden Flight Research Center

P.O. Box 273
Edwards, California 93523
Voice 661-276-3449
FAX 661-276-3566
pao@dfrc.nasa.gov FS-2003-05-015 DFRC

Space Shuttles and the

Dryden Flight Research Center

STS-67 Endeavour landing at Edwards.

Among the most prominent aerospace projects associated with the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards,
Calif., is the Space Transportation System (STS) — the space shuttles developed and operated by NASA.

In 1977, Dryden was the scene of the approach and landing tests (ALT) carried out with the prototype orbiter Enterprise to
evaluate the glide and landing characteristics of the 100-ton vehicles. Dryden has also been the primary or alternate
landing site for just under half of the space shuttle landings since the first orbital mission April 12-14, 1981. The role of
Dryden and its predecessor organizations in the space shuttle program, however, extends beyond the prototype testing and
the landings.

Dryden pilots and engineers were testing and validating design concepts that helped in the development of the space
shuttle configuration more than a decade before testing began with the prototype Enterprise.

Subsequent flight testing at Dryden also contributed A typical heavyweight lifting body flight profile began at
significantly in development of the space shuttle thermal about 45,000 feet with its air launch from the NASA B-52
protection system, solid rocket booster recovery system, carrier aircraft. The research pilot would climb to altitudes
flight control system computer software, drag chutes that of 50,000 to 80,000 feet. The pilot would then glide
helped increase landing efficiency and safety, and tests of through a simulated return-from-space corridor into a pre-
the shuttle landing gear and braking systems with a spe- planned approach for a landing on the dry lakebed at
cially-designed Landing Systems Research Aircraft Edwards. Two of the final landings on the Edwards Air
(LSRA). Force Base runway were representative of the types the
shuttles would begin making just six years after the last
The Lifting Bodies flight of the X-24B, and verified that precise landings from
space were feasible without the need for engines.
In the mid-1950s, engineering studies and design tests
began at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronau- Data from each lifting body configuration contributed to
tics’ Ames and Langley Aeronautical Laboratories (later the data base used to develop the space shuttles and helped
redesignated the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett produce energy management and landing techniques used
Field, Calif., and Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.) today on each flight of the orbiters. Lifting body data led to
on aerodynamic shapes that could survive the fast, fiery the decision by NASA to build the orbiters without air-
plunge from space back through the atmosphere. The breathing jet engines that would have been used during
shapes would generate enough lift for a controlled descent descent and landing operations, and would have added
and aircraft-like runway landing. This was the concept substantially to the weight of each vehicle and to overall
being studied for a future spacecraft, and it led to the program costs.
lifting-body program at Dryden, which tested and validated
the aerodynamic and controlled maneuvering qualities of These same airbreathing engines were to be used to ferry
the wingless shapes. the orbiter from the landing site back to the launch site. If
the engines were eliminated, another means of ferrying the
The first lifting body, the M2-F1, was built partly at orbiter had to be devised. Dryden proposed the concept of a
Dryden (then called the Flight Research Center) by em- mothership to carry out the ferry mission. The Boeing 747
ployees and partly by a contractor at El Mirage, Calif. It Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) evolved from Dryden’s
consisted of plywood over a tubular frame. This construc- recommendation. The SCA was subsequently used to
tion technique led to a very light vehicle, causing the M2- launch the prototype orbiter Enterprise during the shuttle
F1 to be referred to as the lightweight lifting body. It had approach and landing tests in 1977.
no engines and was towed into the air — first behind an
automobile on Rogers Dry Lake and then behind a NASA The SCA is now the standard ferry vehicle.
C-47. It was flown over 70 times behind the C-47 from
1963 to 1966 as a prototype leading to the formal program
of heavyweight powered vehicles.

Five heavyweight designs were flown at Dryden from 1966

to 1975. They were the M2-F2, M2-F3 (rebuilt from the
M2-F2 following a landing accident), HL-10, X-24A, and
X-24B (rebuilt from the X-24A in a new configuration).

The two shuttle carrier aircraft, nose-to-nose.

X-15 Contributions
The X-15 rocket-powered aircraft program at Dryden has
been labeled as the most successful aeronautical research
program ever conducted by NASA. It was conceived in the
1950s to investigate the realm of hypersonic flight and
Three lifting bodies on the lakebed (X-24A, M2-F3, phenomena associated with speed in the Mach 6-plus range
HL-10). and altitudes of 250,000 feet — the fringes of space.

Using three research vehicles (one was lost in an accident High Speed Research Contributions
late in the program), 12 pilots assigned to the program at
the Flight Research Center collected a wealth of data In the early 1970s, Dryden began a high-speed flight
between 1959 and 1968 on 199 research flights. Much of research program with YF-12 aircraft, an early variant of
this information fanned out across the aerospace industry the famed SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft. YF-12s (includ-
and has been applied to commercial and military aircraft ing an actual SR-71 that was designated YF-12C to pre-
and to the nation’s space programs. serve the secrecy surrounding the SR-71s) were flown over
a nine-year span to collect data in a variety of areas associ-
ated with sustained high speeds and high-altitude flight in a
jet-powered aircraft.

During the program, Dryden engineers developed a central

airborne performance analyzer that monitored a number of
aircraft maintenance parameters, including the electrical,
inlet control, and hydraulics systems. The analyzer was
able to detect problems arising in flight and present enough
information for pilots to decide whether to abort the
X-15 #3 and F-104A chase plane landing. mission or continue. The analyzer also provided data for
post-flight maintenance checks. Though it was just a
The areas of research pioneered by the X-15 program that research project, the analyzer was a forerunner of on-board
have contributed directly to the space shuttle program, or diagnostic systems used on the space shuttles and on a
aided in its development, are numerous. Among the most variety of aircraft today.
significant are:
The YF-12 program also produced some of the first mea-
• First use of reaction controls for attitude control in space surements of aeronautical-induced structural loads. These
• First practical use of full-pressure suits for pilot data were subsequently used to update analytical tools used
protection by aircraft designers for advanced high-speed aircraft.
• Development of inertial flight data systems in high- These updated analytical tools were also used in designing
dynamic-pressure and space environment the space shuttle.
• Discovery of hot spots generated by surface irregularities
• Discovery that the hypersonic boundary layer is Shuttle Software
turbulent and not laminar
• First demonstration of pilot’s ability to control rocket- In 1972, Dryden began research flights with the first
boosted aerospace vehicle through atmospheric exit aircraft equipped with an all-electric, digital flight control
• Successful transition from aerodynamic controls to system. This was the F-8 Digital Fly-By-Wire, which used
reaction controls, and back again electrical impulses instead of mechanical means to link
• Demonstration of pilot’s ability to function in a weight- cockpit controls and actuators moving the rudder, elevators,
less environment and ailerons. This same all-electric F-8 was used to test and
• First piloted, lifting atmospheric reentry verify the computer hardware and software used in the
• First application of energy-management techniques for space shuttle’s flight control system before the first orbital
reentry guidance flights began.
• First application of hypersonic theory and wind tunnel
work to actual flight vehicle
• Development of improved high-temperature seals and
lubricants

As the X-15 program was establishing winged aircraft

speed (4,520 mph) and altitude (354,200 feet) records that
still stand (except for those established by the space
shuttles), it was generating information on aerodynamics,
structures, thermal properties, and flight controls that
quickly found its way to not only designers and engineers
associated with conventional aircraft, but to those con-
nected with the early stages of space shuttle development.
YF-12A in flight with “cold wall” experiment.

3
Booster Recovery System speeds of Mach 1.4 (nearly 1 and 1/2 times the speed of
sound) and dynamic pressures of 1140 pounds per square
In 1977 and 1978, tests of the parachute recovery system foot to test them for deformation or structural changes as a
used on the space shuttle solid rocket boosters were carried result of the flight loads.
out with the same NASA B-52 used as the air-launch
platform for the X-15 and lifting body programs. The tiles flight tested represented six locations on the
orbiters: the forward wing glove area, vertical tail leading
The series of 31 tests were staged out of Dryden, with the edge, window post area, elevon trailing edge, elevon hinge
actual test drops made over the National Parachute Test area, and closeout tiles aft of the wing leading edge area.
Range, El Centro, Calif.
The Dryden flight test program led to several changes to
The tests, using a dummy solid rocket booster, verified the improve bonding and attachment techniques.
performance and reliability of the parachute recovery
system used now to recover the solid rocket booster casings Approach and Landing Tests
after they separate from the shuttles’ external fuel tank
during launch operations. The booster casings are refur- On July 26, 1972, NASA selected the Space Transportation
bished for reuse after they are retrieved from the ocean. Systems Division of Rockwell International, Downey,
Calif., as the prime contractor for the design, development,
test, and evaluation of the orbiter.

After five years of planning, assembly, and systems testing,

the space shuttle approach and landing tests (ALT) began
at Dryden. On Feb. 15, 1977, three taxi tests were con-
ducted to validate structural loads and ground-handling and
control characteristics of the NASA 747 SCA mated with
the prototype orbiter Enterprise.

NASA chose the 747 as the aircraft to ferry the orbiters

between the launch and landing sites, and to other manu-
facturing and program facilities when overland transporta-
tion was unsuitable or unfeasible. The same modified 747
Simulated (smaller) version of the shuttle’s solid
was also used to carry Enterprise aloft for the ALT pro-
rocket booster under the wing of the B-52.
gram.

Tile Testing Following the taxi tests were five captive-carry flights with
Enterprise atop the SCA, but without a crew in the proto-
In 1980, Dryden research pilots flew 60 flights to test space type orbiter. This series of flights produced important
shuttle thermal protection tiles under various aerodynamic aerodynamic data about the flight characteristics of the
load conditions. mated vehicles during takeoff, climb, cruise and landing.
The data were necessary not only for the initial glide
flights of the orbiter, but also for ferry flight operations in
years to come. Dryden conducted these tests. The remain-
der of the tests were conducted by NASA's Johnson Space
Center, Houston, Texas, with Dryden support.

Three captive-carry flights came next, during which crews

of astronauts were in the Enterprise cockpit with systems
powered up. These tests verified crew procedures and
systems operations during the approach and landing phases
of flight. The captive-carry flights also included flutter
tests of the mated craft at typical ferry flight speeds.
F-104 engaged in shuttle tile research.
The five free flights, which began Aug. 12, 1977, and
Dryden used two research aircraft — an F-15 and an F-104 continued through Oct. 26, 1977, verified the orbiter’s
— for the series of tests, which subjected shuttle tiles to approach and landing capabilities and demonstrated its

subsonic airworthiness. During each of the free flights, the Richard Truly also flew aboard Columbia with Engle on
Enterprise was released at an altitude of between 19,000 STS-2. Truly later commanded the eighth shuttle flight in
and 24,700 feet from the attach struts of the SCA and was August 1983.
flown, powerless, to a landing. Validated were not only the
approach and landing capabilities of the vehicle, but also Fullerton went on to fly aboard Columbia as the pilot of the
the automatic flight control and navigation systems — third orbital mission in March 1983, and he commanded the
prerequisites for orbital flights. nineteenth shuttle mission in 1985. He is now a research
pilot at Dryden and the facility’s project pilot on the SCA
The original plan for these tests called for eight free flights, and B-52 launch aircraft, along with flying almost all other
but the tests produced sufficient data to cut the number to Dryden research aircraft.
five — the last two with the ferry flight tail cone, a fitting
to reduce aerodynamic drag and turbulence, removed. Pilot crew of the 747 SCA during the ALT program was
Fitzhugh Fulton and Tom McMurtry, NASA research pilots
Four of the free flight landings were made on Rogers Dry at Dryden. McMurtry later headed the research aircraft
Lake at Edwards. The final free flight landing was on the operations division at Dryden. He and Fulton have since
main 15,000-foot concrete runway at Edwards. retired from NASA.

Pre-Flight Analysis
The Johnson Space Center asked Dryden to conduct an
independent analysis of two crucial areas of the orbiter
design prior to its first orbital flight. These areas were the
aerothermal- induced structural loads and orbiter handling
qualities. Dryden had accumulated extensive expertise in
both of these areas from the X-15, YF-12, and lifting body
programs. Based on this experience, Dryden established the
Enterprise separates from 747 SCA for first tailcone levels of uncertainty that would exist in the predicted
off free flight. shuttle aerodynamic characteristics. The shuttle control
system was found to be capable of compensating for these
On the final free flight, a serious flight control system uncertainties. Dryden’s independent analysis of these areas
problem occurred which caused uncontrolled orbiter identified some minor design deficiencies but verified the
oscillations in pitch and roll. Dryden was asked to solve overall adequacy of the design to accomplish a successful
this problem because of its extensive flight control and entry from Earth orbit.
handling qualities expertise. After extensive analysis and
simulation, Dryden engineers identified the cause of the Shuttle management officials also asked Dryden to conduct
problem. They verified the analysis in flight with experi- a test of the orbiter elevon seals under simulated entry
ments on the F-8 Digital Fly-By-Wire aircraft and devel- flight conditions. Dryden’s Thermostructures Research
oped a control system modification — a pilot-induced- Facility applied mechanical loads and heat to a test speci-
oscillation suppressor — which eliminated the problem. men that included a portion of the orbiter wing and elevon.
This modification was incorporated into the orbiter flight This test was intended to verify proper functioning of the
control system before its first orbital flight. seals. The seals are designed to prevent free stream air from
entering the gap between the aluminum wing structure and
Piloting Enterprise on the free flights in 1977 were astro- the elevons during movement of the control surfaces. The
nauts Fred Haise and Gordon Fullerton on flights 1, 3, and free stream air temperature at atmospheric entry speeds
5. Astronauts Joe Engle and Richard Truly were aboard greatly exceeds the melting point of the aluminum wing
Enterprise on flights 2 and 4. structure and it was essential to prevent air from entering
this gap and causing structural failure. The Dryden tests
Haise was a former Dryden research pilot who had been an verified the design.
astronaut aboard the Apollo 13 mission.
Drag Chute Tests
Engle was a former Air Force test pilot who had flown the X-
15 research aircraft at Dryden. Later he was the pilot aboard Dryden used its B-52 in the summer and early fall of 1990
Columbia on the second shuttle flight in November 1981, and to test the drag parachute system now used by the orbiter
he was mission commander aboard Discovery on the twenti- fleet during routine landings to reduce brake wear and
eth shuttle mission in August and September of 1985. shorten runway rollout.

A series of eight drag chute deployment tests were carried existing ground facilities and could duplicate the condition
out, with the B-52 landing at speeds ranging from 160 to of the actual shuttle landings.
230 miles per hour on a lakebed runway and also on the
main 15,000 foot concrete runway at Edwards. Engineers assessed and documented tire wear as loads of
up to 140,000 pounds were applied.

Shuttle Landings
Dryden was selected as the site for the ALT program and
the initial orbital landings because of the safety margin
presented by Rogers Dry Lake and its lakebed runways.
After operational landings resumed at the Kennedy Space
Center, Dryden has continued to be an alternate site when
unfavorable weather in Florida or special circumstances
prevent a landing there. It will also be a landing site on
missions when developmental tests are being carried out
B-52 testing developmental space shuttle drag chute. and specific payloads in the orbiters require a lakebed
runway.

Instrumentation on the B-52 obtained data during the Rosamond Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base also has
deployments to validate predicted drag loads that an two lakebed runways available for special landings, if
operational orbiter would sustain with a drag chute. needed.

The drag chutes give the orbiters better deceleration

capabilities on shorter runways, and help reduce tire and
brake wear.

Landing Gear and Brake Testing

Tests of shuttle tires with a modified Convair CV-990
jetliner in 1993 through 1995 helped in the decision to
resurface the runway at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., to
reduce tire wear and extend the crosswind landing limits up
to 20 knots.

The CV-990, modified at Dryden and operated by Dryden The space shuttle Atlantis lands with its drag chute
personnel, had a landing gear retraction system installed in deployed on Runway 22 at Edwards, Calif., to
the lower fuselage between the aircraft’s main landing gear. complete the STS-66 mission.
During tests, the shuttle test component was lowered once
the aircraft’s main landing gear had contacted the runway. Scores of Dryden personnel support each shuttle landing at
This allowed much higher speeds and loading than the Edwards. These activities include staffing and operating the
Dryden Mission Control Room where orbiter reentry and
descent parameters are monitored; post-landing orbiter
servicing and processing operations; post-landing crew
physicals; hosting agency and program visitors viewing the
landings; and staffing and operating a media information
center for domestic and international news personnel
covering the landings.

Dryden personnel maintain and operate one of the two

SCA’s used to ferry orbiters between landing and launch
sites, and other locations too distant for the orbiters to be
delivered by ground transportation.

CV-990 Landing Systems Research Aircraft.