NASA honors Nahant Selectman
NASA honors Nahant Selectman
Selectman Michael Manning, who is a senior scientist with the Center for Advance Micro gravity Materials Processing (CAMMP). It is a Commercial Space Center at Northeastern University in Boston funded by NASA. He was recently honored with a commemorative photo of the tragic Columbia mission and recognition from NASA for his contributions to the mission.
Manning’s research, along with Professor of Engineering Dr. Albert Sacco, involves in the development of Zeolite crystals, their growth in space and to find new techniques to improve the catalyst manufacturing process here on Earth. Manning refers these crystals as the backbone of the chemical processes industry since they act as catalyst in crude oil to gasoline conversion process.
According to Manning, zeolites have a wide variety of applications. Almost all gasoline is produced or upgraded using Zeolite crystals. They are as hard as rocks and act as sponges. They are full of tunnels that can store chemicals and then release them when heated. CAMMP is studying ways to use the crystals to store hydrogen fuel, which researchers hope would eventually help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
Manning discovered that, in space, it takes a little more mixing to get things to react than it does on Earth but the crystals grow larger in space. This knowledge may be beneficial in helping us grow larger and more perfect crystals space.
When Columbia was launched from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad it carried a SPACEHAB Research Double Module in its payload bay – a pressurized environment that the crew was able to access from the shuttle’s middeck. Manning was involved in developing and packaging the first set of samples that were processed in a zeolite Crystal Growth Furnace on the International Space Station, where scientists grew the crystals.
The experiment consisted of mixing the material in autoclaves, a sealed container that contains the materials necessary to make the zeolite crystals, then placing them into the special furnace for automated processing. The samples were to be returned to Earth where they would be studied by Manning and other scientists involved in the project.
The samples were to be returned to Earth where they would be studied by Manning and other scientists involved in the project.
The samples were to be returned to Earth where they would be studied by Manning and other scientists involved in the project.
But unfortunately the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated 19 miles above the Earth on Feb. 1, 2003. Kalpana Chawla and Laurel Clark were on their maiden flight served as Flight Engineer and Mission Specialist 2, respectively. They conducted Northeastern University’s Zeolite crystal research experiments.
Portions of an experiment that was part of the payload on have been recovered and analyzed. Four of the autoclaves were found with 19 tubes intact, the samples were extracted and the results analyzed and confirmed the results of earlier tests.
Dr. Manning expects the Zeolite research to continue, despite the Columbia tragedy. The Zeolite research is crucial to the petroleum industry.