Oct 14 1997
From The Space Library
NASA announced that new smart software, with more realistic landing simulations for Shuttle pilots, would become an integral part of astronaut flight training. Hamid Berenji, Ping-Wei Chang, and Steven R. Swanson of JSC engineered the software, which used "adaptive fuzzy logic," allowing the program to learn from experience and to function in a manner closer to human thinking than that of previous software. The software team predicted that the program would help not only Shuttle pilots, but also commercial pilots and even people learning to use machinery unrelated to aviation. Berenji predicted that, because the new training system would be easier to use than previous programs, new pilots would feel much more confident than before.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of his most historic achievement, Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager broke the speed of sound once again, flying an F-15 fighter jet in California's Mojave Desert. NASA aired the recreation on NASA TV as part of its celebration at Edwards Air Force Base. Some historians call Yeager's 1947 feat "the greatest achievement since the first successful flight of the Wright Brothers." The U.S. Postal Service observed the anniversary by unveiling a commemorative stamp, the "50th Anniversary of Supersonic Flight." The ceremonial jaunt was the 74-year old Yeager's last official U.S. Air Force flight.
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