Graduation 2009!

Today's NASA Image

Test Stand A-2 Peering Out from the Fog

At Stennis Space Center, three large engine test stands were built the early 1960s to test the first and second stages of the Apollo Saturn V rocket that carried Americans to the moon. Since 1975, the test stands have supported testing of the Space Shuttle main engines. The last planned test was conducted in July of 2009. In this photo, the A-2 Test Stand peered out from a thick blanket of fog during the early morning hours of Oct. 28, 2009. This photo was taken from the top of the B Test Stand. The A-1 and A-2 test stands are transitioning to support J-2X engine testing for the Constellation Program, while the B-1/B-2 test stand will support stage testing. For the first time since the 1960s, a new test stand, called A-3, is under construction with a scheduled completion date of 2011. The A-3 test stand will be 300 feet tall and will enable engineers to conduct simulated high-altitude testing up to 100,000 feet. Photo Credit: NASA/SSC/Allen Forsman, Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne
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June 14th, 2009 · No Comments

Graduation Day 2009 was sunny and splendid. Everyone enjoyed themselves except for Rick who wept constantly at the loss of his latest batch of kids. Forever growing up and leaving the UW nest…

On the left: In keeping with Cambridge tradition, which we learned about from our dean Arthur Nowell, new alumni Ali, Tricia and Britta hold one finger of their mentor Rick as they enter UW’s Husky Stadium for the conferral of their degrees…

Follow the link below for more pictures (on two pages).