Raw capture
Cooperative Agreement NCC8-124 Between NASA/MSFC and UAH - Final Report
Cooperative Agreement NCC8-124 Between NASA/MSFC and UAH - Final Report
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Author: Ning Li
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Organization: Consortium for Materials Development in Space, University of Alabama in Huntsville
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Reporting period: 1996-12-04 to 2000-12-03
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Access: public, complete four-page report
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Extraction: local PDF text extraction. Page breaks are retained as form-feed characters and the original scan's spacing and OCR artifacts are uncorrected.
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Sourced: 2026-08-13
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Analysis: ../../sources/american-alchemy-ning-li-cover-up-2026
Cooperative Agreement NCC8-124 Between NASA/MSFC and UAH Final Report Dr. Ning Li 12/4/96 - 12/03/2000
Consortium for Materials Development in Space
The University of Alabama in Huntsville
Huntsville, AL 35899
Introduction
From its start in December 1996, the Cooperative Agreement NCC8-124 allowed
that some tasks could be performed primarily by UAH, some primarily by MSFC and
some in a joint manner. The detailed distribution of effort has evolved in a pragmatic
fashion, with each organization focusing on those tasks that seemed most urgent and for
which appropriate capabilities existed. The final, all-up experiments were envisioned as a
very careful measurement process carried out jointly using components developed at both
UAH and MSFC.
, The total project began with an air of optimism that the necessary apparatus for
the adopted objectives could be quickly and easily assembled. Not surprisingly,
technological difficulties were encountered by all parties and it has proven impossible to
complete the challenging experiments in the term of this cooperative agreement.
• _ The UAH accomplishments toward the ultimate experiments are reported here in a
taskwise manner.
Task 1, Superconducting Disk
Produced the first United States 12" superconductivity disk of 1-2-3 superconducting
material
The steps completed include powder preparation, procurement of a unique twelve-
inch die for cold pressure, disk pressing, disk heat-treating, and disk characterization.
Each step posed problems that had to be overcome. During the forming of the disk, a
press time and rate procedure was completed after approximately twenty attempts. In
addition, discussion in the literature about the Podkletnov experiment stated a 2-1-1 disk
was used. Dr. Li fabricated a 2-1-1 disk, but she discovered it was inferior to the 1-2-3
disk and does not recommend its use.
Two usable 1-2-3, 12" superconductivity disks were produced. To our knowledge,
this is the first time disks of this size and quality have been produced in the United States.
Use of the MSFC press capabilities was essential to this success and is gratefully
acknowledged. Development of the technology to make large superconducting disks
reproducibly is in itselfa useful accomplishment, as they can have multiple applications.
For this project the superconducting disks are the heart of the experiments to be
performed. There is little doubt that the supporting apparatus for disk levitation, cooling,
rotation, etc., can be assembled with due diligence. Successful disk fabrication was initially
not so clear. The hardest remaining task is assembly of a convincing suite of
instrumentation capable of measuring small changes in a gravity field.
In summary, by mastering disk fabrication, UAH accomplished the key task
expected of it.
Task 2, Cryogenic Dewar
This project task was primarily a MSFC responsibility.
Task 3, Superconductor Test Laboratory
The UAH laboratory to support this project was defined by Dr. Li. She prepared
equipment lists with specifications for use in her lab. The equipment was procured and set
up. Three operational furnaces of various temperature ranges were included in the lab.
These are required for heat treatment of the disks.
To characterize the disks, Dr. Li conducted a superconductivity materials study.
She developed instrumentation for all the superconductivity measurements. Included was
measurement of high temperature transition superconductivity materials. The nominal time
for a comparable effort is measured in years, but, in this case, it was completed in the first
year of the agreement.
Task 4, Levitation Magnet
For development tests with disks smaller than 12", an array of permanent magnets
assembled by MSFC was used in productive joint experiments.
UAH hoped eventually to acquire another array of permanent magnets suitable to
levitate the 12" disks. This redundancy will allow development tests to progress in parallel
at UAH and MSFC. At the end of 1997, limited levitation magnet facilities presented a
bottleneck to progress.
The electromagnets ultimately needed are envisioned as a MSFC lead task.
Task 5, Rotation Mechanism
This project task has been primarily a MSFC responsibility.
Task 6, Gravity Effect Mechanism
UAH has given thought to this task, which will ultimately be crucial. The
Consortium for Materials Development in Space has access to accelerometers that may be
of value. Also, under separate MSFC funding, another UAH element tested a potential
optical gravitometer without magnetic effect.
Task 7, Superconductor Tests
This final task embraced the expected experiments using levitated, rotating disks,
perhaps with radio frequency illumination and a variety of gravity measurement
instruments.
Final Status
After the first year of effort under this cooperative agreement, limited activity
continued at UAH for some months with a no-cost extension. It as much as not
continuation funding was received, and MSFC discontinued efforts on its tasks of the
cooperative scope, the envisioned final experiments and measurements could not be
completed ..... L
UAH is satisfied that the prinaary role expected of it, namely 12" disk fabrication,
was accomplished successfully. It is unfortunate that these fine superconducting specimens
were never used in the desired experiments.