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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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At least 181 records · Page 10
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NASA NTRS1983

Report on the Workshop on Intercomparison of Solar UV Irradiance Measurements and Related Instrument Calibration

The knowledge of the absolute value of the solar ultraviolet irradiance did not improve very much during the rising phase of the solar cycle 21. The variations associated with the solar rotation period were observed by means of three satellites, namely, the Atmospheric Explorer E (AE-E), Nimbus 7 and the Solar Mesospheric Explorer (SME). Long-term variations related to the solar activity cycle are not well known. Values were deduced during the solar cycle 21 from the AE-E satellite and the rocket program performed by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics leading to variations of about a factor of 2 around 150 nm but definitely less than 20 percent beyond 175 nm. Such low level of variation is still masked by the current uncertainties and reproducibility of the observations performed since 1976. The uncertainties of recent observations are reported with their discrepancies. The gaps between the current accuracy goals and the achievements are still very important. The challenge for the next three years is to improve both the accuracy and the precision of future observations at the level of the available irradiance standards and to measure quantitatively long-term variations of the order of a few percent. The main causes of these gaps are identified.

Simon, P. C.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Development of a solar-cell dust opacity measurement instrument for Mars Pathfinder

The atmosphere of Mars has a considerable load of suspended dust. Over time, this dust is deposited out of the atmosphere. The mechanism and the temporal and geographical variation of this deposition are not well characterized. Measurements of settling rates and dust properties are of considerable scientific interest. Atmospheric dust affects the atmospheric solar absorption and thus the heat balance of Mars, as well as serving as nucleation sites for water and CO2 frost. Knowledge of dust properties is of critical interest to design and prediction of the lifetime and power output of solar arrays, and also to design of mechanical mechanisms and radiators. An instrument has been designed and fabricated to measure the dust accumulation during the course of the Mars Pathfinder rover mission. The solar-cell coverglass transmission experiment will measure the change in optical opacity of a transparent coverglass as dust settles on the surface, and a quartz crystal monitor will measure the mass deposited.

Geoffrey A. Landis↗
NASA NTRS1977

6 centimeter observations of solar active regions with 6 sec resolution

We have used the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope for observations of solar active regions at 6 cm during 1974 May 8-10. The particular problems of using a sidereal instrument for solar observations are discussed. Maps of total intensity and circular polarization were obtained for four active regions with sunspots and a plage region; the linear polarization was below the noise limit. The brightest components of the 6 cm emission are associated with sunspots, while weaker components are associated with the plage magnetic fields, both longitudinal and transverse. An inversion of the sense of circular polarization was observed in the preceding part of a region with bipolar magnetic-field structure, about two days after the region passed through the central meridian. Nine bursts were also observed, and their one-dimensional positions with respect to the associated active regions are given.

Kundu, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Proceedings of the 25th International Instrumentation Symposium, May 7-10, 1979, Anaheim, California

The papers deal essentially with the instrumentation needs of the transportation industry, machinery diagnostics, and energy research. The sessions covered include: acoustic emission, reentry vehicle ground and flight testing, performance of nose tip materials, instrumentation for solar heating and cooling systems, vibration measurement, data acquisition and analysis, system for aerospace pressure measurements, wind tunnel instrumentation and control, energy source instrumentation, nondestructive testing, pressure and flow measurements, automated test facilities, strain measurements, electrooptical instrumentation, thermal measurements, microcomputer applications in instrumentation and automation, flight testing, blast pressure measurement, two-phase liquid/gas mass flow measurement, and machinery monitoring and instrumentation.

Conferences↗
NASA NTRS1992

Investigation of solar active regions at high resolution by balloon flights of the solar optical universal polarimeter, definition phase

The definition phase of a scientific study of active regions on the sun by balloon flight of a former Spacelab instrument, the Solar Optical Universal Polarimeter (SOUP) is described. SOUP is an optical telescope with image stabilization, tunable filter and various cameras. After the flight phase of the program was cancelled due to budgetary problems, scientific and engineering studies relevant to future balloon experiments of this type were completed. High resolution observations of the sun were obtained using SOUP components at the Swedish Solar Observatory in the Canary Islands. These were analyzed and published in studies of solar magnetic fields and active regions. In addition, testing of low-voltage piezoelectric transducers was performed, which showed they were appropriate for use in image stabilization on a balloon.

Tarbell, Theodore D.↗
NASA NTRS1984

High precision active nutation control for a flexible momentum biased spacecraft

The controller design for the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is presented. SDO is a momentum biased spacecraft with three flexible appendages. Its primary scientific instrument, the solar oscillations imager (SOI), is rigidly attached to the spacecraft bus and has arc-second pointing requirements. Meeting these requirements necessitates the use of an active nutation controller (ANC) which is here mechanized with a small reaction wheel oriented along a bus transverse axis. The ANC does its job by orchestrating the transfer of angular momentum out of the bus transverse axes and into the momentum wheel. A simulation study verifies that the controller provides quick, stable, and accurate response.

Laskin, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Essential SpaceWire Hardware Capabilities for a Robust Network

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R-Series Program (GOES-R) mission is a joint program between National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). GOES-R project selected SpaceWire as the best solution to satisfy the desire for simple and flexible instrument to spacecraft command and telemetry communications. GOES-R development and integration is complete and the observatory is scheduled for launch October 2016. The spacecraft design was required to support redundant SpaceWire links for each instrument side, as well as to route the fewest number of connections through a Slip Ring Assembly necessary to support Solar pointing instruments. The final design utilized two different router designs. The SpaceWire standard alone does not ensure the most practical or reliable network. On GOES-R a few key hardware capabilities were identified that merit serious consideration for future designs. Primarily these capabilities address persistent port stalls and the prevention of receive buffer overflows. Workarounds were necessary to overcome shortcomings that could be avoided in future designs if they utilize the capabilities, discussed in this paper, above and beyond the requirements of the SpaceWire standard.

SpaceWire↗
NASA NTRS1988

Solar vector magnetograph for Max 1991 programs

An instrument for measuring solar magnetic fields is under construction. Key requirements for any solar vector magnetograph are high spatial resolution, high optical throughput, fine spectral selectivity, and ultralow instrumental polarization. An available 25 cm Cassegrain telescope will provide 0.5 arcsec spatial resolution. Spectral selection will be accomplished with a 150 mA filter based on electrically tunable solid Fabry-Perot etalon. Filter and polarization analyzer design concepts for the magnetograph are described in detail. The instrument will be tested at JHU/APL, and then moved to the National Solar Observatory in late 1988. It will be available to support the Max 1991 program.

Rust, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) - An overview

UARS is designed to provide the most extensive data base ever obtained on the coupled energy input, chemistry, and dynamics of the earth's upper atmosphere to increase enormously the current understanding of the upper atmosphere and to improve assessments of the depletion of stratospheric ozone caused by human activities. The UARS mission, observatory, and investigations are described. The UARS experimental investigations consist of energy input experiments, chemical species and temperature experiments, and dynamics experiments. Two instruments measure solar UV energy input while another measures energetic particle energy input and associated X-radiation emission from the atmosphere. Four instruments address chemical concentrations, and two make direct measurements of upper atmosphere winds.

Mcneal, Robert J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The Mercury Dual Orbiter mission

The Mercury Orbiter (MeO) will carry out a full range of particles, fields, and planetary imaging science at Mercury. Present mission plans call for a launch in 1999 with a flight time of about 4.5 years. By means of multiple Venus and Mercury gravitational assists, the mission can be accomplished with present U.S. launch vehicles and a very large payload can be placed in orbit around Mercury. The dual-spacecraft concept will permit outstanding scientific study of solar cosmic rays and the solar wind throughout the inner heliosphere from 0.3 AU to 1.0 AU. Modest enhancements to the planned magnetospheric instruments and utilization of onboard solar instruments will permit unique investigation of solar particle acceleration and transport with the MeO spacecraft.

Baker, D. N.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Precision of radio science instrumentation for planetary exploration

The Deep Space Network is the largest and most sensitive scientific telecommunications facility Primary function: providing two-way communication between the Earth and spacecraft exploring the solar system Instrumented with large parabolic reflectors, high-power transmitters, low-noise amplifiers & receivers.

Radio Science Recever↗
NASA NTRS1999

Concept Study Report: Extreme-Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer Solar-B

We propose a next generation Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) that for the first time combines high spectral, spatial, and temporal resolution in a single solar spectroscopic instrument. The instrument consists of a multilayer-coated off-axis telescope mirror and a multilayer-coated grating spectrometer. The telescope mirror forms solar images on the spectrometer entrance slit assembly. The spectrometer forms stigmatic spectra of the solar region located at the slit. This region is selected by the articulated telescope mirror. Monochromatic images are obtained either by rastering the solar region across a narrow entrance slit, or by using a very wide slit (called a slot) in place of the slit. Monochromatic images of the region centered on the slot are obtained in a single exposure. Half of each optic is coated to maximize reflectance at 195 Angstroms; the other half to maximize reflectance at 270 Angstroms. The two Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength bands have been selected to maximize spectral and dynamical and plasma diagnostic capabilities. Spectral lines are observed that are formed over a temperature range from about 0.1 MK to about 20 MK. The main EIS instrument characteristics are: wavelength bands - 180 to 204 Angstroms; 250 to 290 Angstroms; spectral resolution - 0.0223 Angstroms/pixel (34.3km/s at 195 Angstroms and 23.6 km/s at 284 Angstroms); slit dimensions - 4 slits, two currently specified dimensions are 1" x 1024" and 50" x 1024" (the slot); largest spatial field of view in a single exposure - 50" x 1024"; highest time resolution for active region velocity studies - 4.4 s.

Doschek, George, A.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Astronomy sortie mission definition study. Addendum: Follow-on analyses

Results of design analyses, trade studies, and planning data of the Astronomy Sortie Mission Definition Study are presented. An in-depth analysis of UV instruments, nondeployed solar payload, and on-orbit access is presented. Planning data are considered, including the cost and schedules associated with the astronomy instruments and/or support hardware. Costs are presented in a parametric fashion.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2006

Overview of the Solar-B Mission

The Solar-B mission is a collaboration between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) of the United Kingdom and the European Space Agency. The principal scientific goals of the mission are to understand the processes of magnetic field generation, transport and ultimate dissipation of solar magnetic fields and how the release of magnetic energy is responsible for the heating and structuring of the chromosphere and corona. The scientific payload consists of three instruments: the Solar Optical Telescope that consists of the Optical Telescope Assembly and the Focal Plane Package (FPP), the X-ray Telescope and the EUV Imaging Spectrometer Each instrument is a result of the combined talents of all the members of the international team and their design and performance is described in separate papers in this session. The instruments are designed to work together as an 'observatory' simultaneously studying the target, at which the spacecraft is pointed, at different levels in the atmosphere. The spacecraft is scheduled for launch in September 2006 from the Uchinoura Space Center into a 600 km circular, sun-synchronous, polar orbit with a nominal elevation of 97.9 degrees. The orbit provides at least two morning and two evening contacts in Japan. Morning contacts are used for recovering quick look science data and the evening contacts for uploading commands. In addition ESA will provide 15 contacts per day from the Norwegian high latitude (78deg 14' N) ground station at Svalbard. The data downloads are transmitted to the ISAS Sirius database. They will be reformatted into FITS files and archived as Level 0 data on the ISAS DARTS system and made available to the scientific community. Scientific operations will be conducted from the IS AS facility located in Sagamihara, Japan. They are separated into planning, implementation and archiving. The planning process involves monthly, weekly and daily planning meetings. All scientific data will be made available after the first six month approximately one week after its collection.

Davis, John M.↗