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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRS1972

Effects of geophysical extra-terrestrial and terrestrial physical stimuli on living organisms - Effects of gravity fields on living organisms

The biologic effects of greatly reduced gravity resulting from space flight are examined. Aspects of U.S. space biology during the period from 1960 to 1972 are discussed, giving attention to the Discoverer satellites, the Gemini series, the OV1-4 satellite, the biosatellite project, the orbiting frog otolith experiment, and the Apollo program. Other studies considered are related to the effects of galactic particles on nonproliferating cells, a recoverable tissue culture experiment, cell cycle maintenance in human lung cells, and effects of space flight on circadian rhythms. Viking will land on the planet Mars in 1975 in search for life forms.

Saunders, R. J. F.↗

NASA NTRS1974

On the thermal evolution of the terrestrial planets

Physical and chemical constraints for such different planetary objects as the earth, the moon and meteorite parent bodies can best be satisfied by thermal history models having high initial temperatures. On the basis of thermal calculations it is suggested that the evolution of the other terrestrial planets (Mars, Venus and Mercury) was also characterized by high initial temperatures. Under these conditions, melting and, consequently, fractionation would set in at an early stage. Because of the resulting redistribution of the long-lived radioactive heat sources and the concentration of these elements in the surface layers, large-scale differentiation could be achieved by partial melting.

Fricker, P. E.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Worst error analysis of batch filter and sequential filter in the approach phase of spacecraft navigation problems

The worst error performance of the sequential filter is compared with the performance of the batch filter which is still in general use in the deep space tracking. An approach phase of a spacecraft on a typical mission to the planet Mars is considered. The estimated parameters include the position and the speed of the spacecraft, nongravitational acceleration acting on the spacecraft, and the locations of the tracking stations.

Nishimura, T.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Low-background air-infrared telescope for balloon-borne infrared astronomy

The design and performance of a far-infrared telescope are discussed. The instrument is twenty centimeters in diameter and has excellent operating characteristics at 100 microns. The principal features of the telescope are summarized. A diagram of the system is provided. The telescope completed two sucessful balloon flights in which the planets Mars and Saturn were used as calibration sources. Observations were made of the H2 regions W 3, Orion A, NGC 2024, and the bright infrared galaxy M 82.

Low, F. J.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Planetary spacecraft in the U.S. program

In the U.S. program for the exploration of the solar system, the Pioneer spacecraft are used for initial studies of the planets and the planetary and interplanetary environment. The Mariners have been employed for planet-oriented flyby missions followed by more detailed planet investigations with orbiting missions. The Viking lander is designed for surface exploration of the planet Mars. The various planetary missions conducted so far or planned for the next few years are discussed in some detail, giving attention also to the design of the spacecraft employed.

Kraemer, R. S.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Martian topography derived from occultation, radar, spectral, and optical measurements

A new global topographic map of the planet Mars, derived primarily from Mariner 9 data, is presented. Spacecraft radio signal occultation times, remote sensing of infrared and ultraviolet spectra, and earth-based radar measurements are included in the data base. Large-scale topographic relief is seen with definite fluid flow patterns established over much of the surface consistent with earlier analyses. An optical flattening of 0.0059 is obtained with a center-of-mass to center-of-figure offset of approximately 2 km to the south and 1 km toward the Tharsis ridge. Mathematical models approximating the topographic figure and 6.1-mb isobaric surface for Mars are included in this presentation.

Christensen, E. J.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Seismic and acoustic emissions of a booming dune

Acoustic and seismic spectra of booming sand dunes that emit low-frequency musical resonances when the dunes slump or undergo forced shearing are analyzed and described. Previous studies of booming, squeaking, screeching, and roaring sands with pure outputs resembling those of musical instruments, or more turbulent acoustic outputs such as the sound of low-flying propeller aircraft, are reviewed. The possibility of similar phenomena on the moon (thermal moonquakes) or nearby planets (Mars, Venus) is considered on the basis of planetary topography, soil mechanics, and atmosphere.

Criswell, D. R.↗

NASA NTRS1977

In-flight performance of the Viking 75 Orbiter propulsion system

The configuration of the Viking 75 Spacecraft, which was used in two missions related to the exploration of the planet Mars, is examined and a description of the orbiter propulsion subsystem is provided. The propellants utilized were nitrogen tetroxide and monomethylhydrazine. Gaseous helium was used for pressurization. Orbiter maneuver durations ranged from the 39.4 minute Mars orbit insertion on VO-2, the longest engine firing in space to date, to the 1.7-second station keeping trim on VO-1. Total engine operating time was 2748.2 seconds for VO-1 and 2814.5 seconds for VO-2.

Schmit, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Navigating the Viking landers

On July 20, 1976, Viking Lander 1 became the first unmanned spacecraft to land and operate successfully on the planet Mars. This was followed by a second successful landing on September 3, 1976. This paper gives a detailed description of the autonomous on-board navigation process to perform the guidance, control, and entry navigation functions. Also, the functions performed on the ground to generate and validate the guidance commands sent to the spacecraft prior to descent are described. In-flight measures of navigation system performance are compared against a-priori error estimates to show that the descents were completely nominal in all respects. The final landing errors were 25 km and 10 km for Missions 1 and 2, respectively.

Euler, E. A.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Geology of the Valles Marineris - First Analysis of Imaging from the Viking 1 Orbiter Primary Mission

The Valles Marineris on the planet Mars constitute an enormous group of steep-walled equatorial canyons extending over an area more than 4000 km long and up to 700 km wide. An overview of Valles Marineris is provided, taking into account canyon system subdivisions, imaging and topographic data, Noctis Labyrinthus, western troughs, central troughs, east central troughs, and eastern canyons. Aspects of canyon wall and canyon floor morphology are discussed, giving attention to erosional features, layered rocks in canyon walls, tectonic features, plains, landslide deposits, hilly terrain, fractured floor, and floor plateaus and ridges. Upland pits and closed depressions in the canyons are considered along with regional tectonics and regional erosional styles.

Blasius, K. R.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Four-planet meteorology

All planets with atmospheres have common characteristics which are helpful in understanding weather and climate on earth. Of the terrestrial planets, Mars displays the most earth-like characteristics. The feedback mechanism of the Martian Great Dust Storms may control climate on a global scale and shows some parallels to the water cycle on the earth. Venus, on the other hand, has atmosphere motions and characteristics far different from those of earth but appears to be valuable for comparative meteorology and it seems to be a simple weather machine due to absence of axial tilt. A completely gaseous Jupiter also can help because its atmosphere, driven by internal heat, flows round-and-round, showing the same general patterns for years at a time. Results of studying extraterrestrial atmospheres are most important for understanding earth's multi-year weather cycles such as the droughts in the American West every 22 years or effects of the Little Ice Age (1450-1915) on agriculture in the North Hemisphere.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1983

Martian gases in an Antarctic meteorite?

Significant abundances of trapped argon, krypton, and xenon have been measured in shock-altered phases of the achondritic meteorite Elephant Moraine 79001 from Antarctica. The relative elemental abundances, the high ratios of argon-40 to argon-36 (equal to or greater than 2000), and the high ratios of xenon-129 to xenon-132 (equal to or greater than 2.0) of the trapped gas more closely resemble Viking data for the Martian atmosphere than data for noble gas components typically found in meteorites. These findings support earlier suggestions, made on the basis of geochemical evidence, that shergottites and related rare meteorites may have originated from the planet Mars.

Bogard, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Noble gas contents of shergottites and implications for the Martian origin of SNC meteorites

Three meteorites belonging to the rare group of SNC achondrites, which may have originated in the planet Mars, have been subjected to noble gas isotopic concentration measurements. The elemental and isotopic ratios obtained are unlike those for any other noble gas components except those obtained in analyses of the Martian atmosphere by Viking spacecraft. It is hypothesized that the Kr and Xe gases represent a portion of the Martian atmosphere which was shock-implanted in the case of Elephant Moraine A79001, and that they constitute direct evidence of a Martian origin for the shergottite meteorites. If the SNC meteorites were ejected from Mars at the shergottite shock age of about 180 My ago, they must have been objects more than 6 m in diameter which experienced at least three space collisions to initiate cosmic ray exposure.

Bogard, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Tethers and asteroids for artificial gravity assist in the solar system

Analytical models are defined for gravity-assist trajectory changes for spacecraft passing massive compact bodies. The models are applied in an examination of the benefits of lowering a tether to an asteroid during a flyby in order to gain a trajectory change equivalent to that from a massive body (planet). Direct flybys yield velocity gains while retrograde flybys shed velocity. The magnitude of the effects are a function of the proximity to the body during flyby. This inherently limits the gravity assist technique used around planets, which usually have atmospheres and can have intense radiation fields. If a spacecraft could extend a tether (such as to be tested on the Orbiter) to snag on an asteroid surface, the potential trajectory/velocity change of the spacecraft would be limited mainly by the tether strength. The encounter physics are treated as a soft collision. Possible applications of the asteroid tether technique are outer planet, Mars and main belt asteroid exploration missions.

Penzo, P. A.↗

NASA NTRS1987

A low-density boundary-layer wind tunnel facility

This abstract describes a low-density wind-tunnel facility that was established at NASA Ames in order to aid interpretation and understanding of data received from the Mariner and Viking spacecraft through earth-based simulation. The wind tunnel is a boundary-layer type which is capable of operating over a range of air densities ranging from 0.01 to 1.24 kg/cu m, with the lower values being equivalent to the near-surface density of the planet Mars. Although the facility was developed for space and extraterrestrial simulation, it also can serve as a relatively large-scale, low-density aerodynamic test facility. A description of this unique test facility and some Pitot-tube and hot-wire anemometry data acquired in the facility are presented.

White, B. R.↗

NASA NTRS1988

The origin of the moon: Further studies of the giant impact

A number of technical improvements in the calculations which simulate the most violent event that has occurred to the earth during its history: its collision with the next largest body which was present in its region of accumulation in the early solar system, are discussed. This body was a planet in its own right, an object a little more massive than the planet Mars. The collision created a disk of molten and gaseous debris in orbit around the protoearth, and it is believed that the dissipation of this disk resulted in the formation of the moon. Also discussed is the serendipitous discovery that has emerged from the simulations: the role played by a huge, hot, rotating bar of rock and iron, which is formed immediately after the collision, in transferring angular momentum to much of the rock that is put into orbit, and in robbing the iron of angular momentum so that it falls promptly into the protoearth.

Benz, W.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Planetary radar astronomy

The scientific aims, theoretical principles, techniques and instrumentation, and future potential of radar observations of solar-system objects are discussed in a general overview. Topics examined include the history of radar technology, echo detectability, the Arecibo and Goldstone radar observatories, echo time delay and Doppler shift, radar waveforms, albedo and polarization ratio, measurement of dynamical properties, and the dispersion of echo power. Consideration is given to angular scattering laws; the radar signatures of the moon and inner planets, Mars, and asteroids; topographic relief; delay-Doppler radar maps and their physical interpretation; and radar observations of the icy Galilean satellites of Jupiter, comets, and the rings of Saturn. Diagrams, drawings, photographs, and sample maps and images are provided.

Ostro, Steven J.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Snow as a habitat for microorganisms

There are three major habitats involving ice and snow, and the microorganisms studied from these habitats are most eukaryotic. Sea ice is inhabited by algae called diatoms, glacial ice has sparse populations of green algai cal desmids, and the temporary and permanent snows in mountainous regions and high latitudes are inhabited mostly by green algal flagellates. The life cycle of green algal flagellates is summarized by discussing the effects of light, temperature, nutrients, and snow melts. Specific examples of optimal conditions and environmental effects for various snow algae are given. It is not likely that the eukaryotic snow algae presented are candidated for life on the planet Mars. Evolutionally, eukaryotic cells as know on Earth may not have had the opportunity to develop on Mars (if life evolved at all on Mars) since eukaryotes did not appear on Earth until almost two billion years after the first prokaryotic organisms. However, the snow/ice ecosystems on Earth present themselves as extreme habitats were there is evidence of prokaryotic life (eubacteria and cyanbacteria) of which literally nothing is known. Any future surveillances of extant and/or extinct life on Mars should include probes (if not landing sites) to investigate sites of concentrations of ice water. The possibility of signs of life in Martian polar regions should not be overlooked.

Hoham, Ronald W.↗