Glenn Research Center facts for kids
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 Aerial view of Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field |
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | 1942 |
| Preceding agencies |
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| Jurisdiction | Federal government of the United States |
| Headquarters | Brook Park, Ohio, U.S. 41°24′46″N 81°51′45″W / 41.412843°N 81.862399°W |
| Agency executive |
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| Parent agency | NASA |
| Child agency |
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The NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field is a major NASA center. It is located in Brook Park and Cleveland, Ohio. It also has another facility in Sandusky, Ohio. The center's main job is to create new science and technology. This helps with things that fly in the air (aeronautics) and in space.
James A. Kenyon is the current director of the center. In 2012, about 3,500 people worked there. This included both government employees and support staff.
Contents
History of the Glenn Research Center
The center started in 1942. It was first part of a group called the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). Later, it became part of NASA. It began as a place to research aircraft engines.
It had several names over the years:
- In 1942, it was called the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory.
- In 1947, it became the Flight Propulsion Research Laboratory.
- In 1948, it was named the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory (LFPL). This name honored George W. Lewis, who led NACA for many years.
- In 1958, when NASA was created, it became the NASA Lewis Research Center.
On March 1, 1999, the center got its current name. It was renamed the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field. This was to honor John Glenn. He was a famous fighter pilot and the first American to orbit the Earth as an astronaut. He also became a politician.
As early as 1951, scientists at the center were already studying how liquid rocket engines burn fuel.
Amazing Facilities at Glenn
Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility
The Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility is a huge 6,400-acre (2,600 ha) site. It is located near Sandusky, Ohio, about 50 miles (80 km) from the main campus. This facility used to be called Plum Brook Station. It is used for very large tests that might be too dangerous to do at the main center.
In 2015, the facility had five main parts:
- B-2 Spacecraft Propulsion Research Facility
- Combined Effects Chamber
- Cryogenic Components Laboratory (this one was planned to be taken down)
- Hypersonic Test Facility
- Space Power Facility
In 2019, U.S. senators from Ohio, Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown, suggested renaming Plum Brook Station. They wanted to name it after Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the Moon. This idea became law on December 30, 2020. That is how it became the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility.
B-2 Spacecraft Propulsion Research Facility
The B-2 Spacecraft Propulsion Research Facility is unique. It is the only place in the world that can test large, full-size rocket parts. It can also test rocket engines in conditions that are like high-altitude space. The Space Power Facility here has the world's biggest vacuum chamber for space environments.
Icing Research Tunnel
The Icing Research Tunnel is a special wind tunnel. It can create conditions like when ice forms on aircraft in the sky. Scientists use it to test how ice affects airplane wings and bodies. They also test systems that prevent ice from building up on planes.
Zero Gravity Research Facility
The Zero Gravity Research Facility is a tall, vertical vacuum chamber. It is used to drop experiments to test them in microgravity. Microgravity is a condition where things feel almost weightless, like in space. This facility was named a National Historic Landmark in 1985.
The facility is a concrete shaft, 28 feet (8.5 m) wide, going 510 feet (160 m) deep underground. Inside is an aluminum vacuum chamber, 20 feet (6.1 m) wide and 470 feet (140 m) tall. Before an experiment, the air is removed from this chamber to create a vacuum.
After a similar facility in Japan closed, NASA's Zero-G facility became the largest microgravity testing site in the world.
There is also a smaller drop tower at the center. It allows for a free fall time of 2.2 seconds. This smaller tower is used for educational programs, like the Dropping In Microgravity Environment (DIME) contest for students.
Important Discoveries and Contributions
Aeronautics Science and Technology
NASA Glenn does a lot of important research on jet engines. They create designs that use less fuel, cause less pollution, and make less noise. For example, they invented special "chevrons" that reduce noise. You can see these on many modern jet engines, including those on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Space Science and Technology
The Glenn Research Center and its partners have made many key contributions to space exploration:
- They developed the liquid hydrogen rocket engine. This technology was very important for the Apollo Moon landings.
- They helped create the Centaur upper stage rocket. This rocket stage helps push spacecraft further into space.
- They developed the gridded ion thruster. This is a very efficient engine for space travel. A Glenn-designed ion engine was used on NASA's successful Deep Space 1 probe.
- They designed the Electrical Power System for Space Station Freedom. This system, with a few changes, is now used on the International Space Station.
Core Strengths of NASA Glenn
NASA Glenn is very good at these main areas:
- Air-breathing engines (like jet engines)
- Technology for communications
- Space engines and handling very cold liquids (cryogenic fluids)
- Power systems, storing energy, and changing energy forms
- Materials and structures that can work in very harsh environments
Education Programs
The Glenn Research Center offers the Lewis' Educational and Research Collaborative Internship Program (LERCIP). This program gives internships to high school and college students, as well as high school teachers.
- The high school program is an eight-week internship. It is for students interested in science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), or office work. Only students from the Cleveland area can apply.
- The college program is a 10-week internship. It is open to college students from all over the country.
- Interns work closely with NASA scientists and engineers. They are part of the center's daily activities.
- The LERCIP Teacher program is also a 10-week internship for teachers in STEM fields.
Other Educational Opportunities
The Dropping In Microgravity Environment (DIME) is an annual contest. High school student teams write ideas for experiments to be done in the Drop Tower. The winning teams get to visit the center, do their experiments, and write a report for NASA.
The Future of Glenn Research Center
After 2004, NASA started focusing more on space exploration. This made some people wonder if centers like Glenn, which focus on research, would become less important.
However, in 2006, NASA Glenn was given the job of managing the service module for the Crew Exploration Vehicle. This project brought a lot of funding and jobs to the center. It showed that Glenn would play a big role in NASA's new space exploration plans.
In 2010, there was another change in direction for NASA's human spaceflight plans. But the 2015 budget for NASA increased funding for projects that Glenn Research Center works on. These included aeronautics research, planetary science, and space technology. This funding helped secure the center's future.
NASA Glenn Visitor Center
The original NASA Glenn Visitor Center at the research site closed in September 2009. Many of its exhibits were moved to the Great Lakes Science Center in downtown Cleveland. New exhibits were also created there.
This move made it easier for the public to visit the exhibits. It also helped more people learn about NASA Glenn. The old center had about 60,000 visitors a year. In its first year at the Great Lakes Science Center, the Glenn Visitor Center had 330,000 visitors! The new display area at the science center is still called the Glenn Visitor Center.
NASA Glenn Research Center also offers public tours of its research facilities. These tours happen on the first Saturday of each month. You need to make reservations ahead of time to join a tour.
See also
In Spanish: Centro de investigación Glenn para niños
