Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

ENGINEERING COLLOQUIUM

Monday, January 30, 2006 / 3:30 PM, Building 3 Auditorium

Ronald Creel

"Back to the Future, Applying Thermal Control Experiences on Apollo Lunar Project to Rovers for Future Space Exploration"

ABSTRACT -- Fresh out of college, some 36 years ago, Ron Creel was thrust into a challenging and high-speed engineering task - design, test verification, and mission support for the thermal control system of a new kind of spacecraft with wheels, the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV).

In this talk, Ron will discuss his experience in LRV thermal design, testing, and modeling. He will also describe the performance of the LRV on the moon, including his support experience. He will end with some thoughts on thermal challenges for future moon rovers.

SPEAKER -- Ronald A. Creel is a space thermal and systems engineer who began his NASA career in 1965 as a co-op student at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), joining full time in 1969, after graduating from Florida State University with a degree in Engineering Mechanics. As thermal engineer on the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) Team, his responsibilities included design, test verification, and mission support engineering for the vehicle's thermal control system. For his contributions, he was awarded the "Silver Snoopy."

Creel later worked on other thermal engineering projects at NASA, including the Laser Geodynamic Satellite (LAGEOS), the High Energy Astronomical Observatory (HEAO) and the X-Ray Calibration Test Facility. He performed extensive thermal/stress analytical work on Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) internal flow components.

After his NASA career, Creel worked on Strategic Defense Initiative Organization "Star Wars" space-based defense projects including extensive field testing in the Pacific.

He supports several educational projects, such as the NASA Great Moonbuggy Race held at MSFC. He formed a team which is developing LUROVA -the LUnar ROVing Adventures 3D "Edutainment" simulation for student involvement and challenge.