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Flight test program to obtain data on aided inertial system for terminal guidance and navigation of helicopter in designing V/STOL avionics system
Plans for the construction and operation of a solar heating and cooling system in conjunction with a office building being constructed at Langley Research Center, are discussed. Supporting research and technology includes: testing of solar collectors with a solar simulator, outdoor testing of collectors, property measurements of selective and nonselective coatings for solar collectors, and a solar model-systems test loop. The areas of a wind energy program that are being conducted include: design and operation of a 100-kW experimental wind generator, industry-designed and user-operated wind generators in the range of 50 to 3000 kW, and supporting research and technology for large wind energy systems. An overview of these activities is provided.
NASA has defined a program to address critical laser-induced damage issues peculiar to its remote sensing systems. The Langley Research Center (LaRC), with input from the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), has developed a program plan focusing on the certification of optical materials for spaceflight applications and the development of techniques to determine the reliability of such materials under extended laser exposures. This plan involves cooperative efforts between NASA and optics manufacturers to quantify the performance of optical materials for NASA systems and to ensure NASA's continued application of the highest quality optics possible for enhanced system reliability. A review panel was organized to assess NASA's optical damage concerns and to evaluate the effectiveness of the LaRC proposed program plan. This panel consisted of experts in the areas of laser-induced damage, optical coating manufacture, and the design and development of laser systems for space. The panel was presented information on NASA's current and planned laser remote sensing programs, laser-induced damage problems already encountered in NASA systems, and the proposed program plan to address these issues. Additionally, technical presentations were made on the state of the art in damage mechanisms, optical materials testing, and issues of coating manufacture germane to laser damage.
An organized approach is defined for establishing the most significant requirements pertaining to mission operations, information management, and computer program design and development for the modular space station program. The operations plan pertains to the space station and experiment module program elements and to the ground elements required for mission management and mission support operations.
Plans by the Corps of Engineers to utilize data collection systems to support their mission of development, utilization, and conservation of the water resources of the Nation, flood control, water management, hydroelectric power, maintenance of navigable waterways, reservoir construction, and river basin control are briefly addressed.
A computer program is described for calculating the flexibility coefficients as arm design changes are made for the remote manipulator system. The coefficients obtained are required as input for a second program which reduces the number of payload deployment and retrieval system simulation runs required to simulate the various remote manipulator system maneuvers. The second program calculates end effector flexibility and joint flexibility terms for the torque model of each joint for any arbitrary configurations. The listing of both programs is included in the appendix.
Contents include the following: Executive Summary; Introduction; Scientific Goals for the Exploration of Mars; Overview of Mars Surveyor and Others Mars Missions; Key Issues for NASA's Mars Exploration Program; and Assessment of the Scientific Potential of NASA's Mars Exploration Program.
The technological needs and opportunities related to future civil and military rotorcraft were determined and a program plan for NASA research which was responsive to the needs and opportunities was prepared. In general, the program plan places the primary emphasis on design methodology where the development and verification of analytical methods is built upon a sound data base. The four advanced rotorcraft technology elements identified are aerodynamics and structures, flight control and avionic systems, propulsion, and vehicle configurations. Estimates of the total funding levels that would be required to support the proposed program plan are included.
An overview of the program plan for the Solar Power Satellite Program is given. Progress in the microwave power transmission system is reported. A description is given of the following: (1) launch and recovery site facilities, systems and operations; (2) cargo packaging; (3) earth-to-LEO cargo transportation operations; (4) LEO-to-GEO cargo transportation operations; (5) personnel transportation operations; (6) space vehicles in-space maintenance operations; and (7) SPS maintenance systems and operations. Other topics discussed include GEO base operations, satellite construction operations, intra-base logistics, and GEO base definition. A research and program plan is presented along with cost estimates.
The purpose of this report is to define the technology program required to meet the transportation technology needs for current and future civil space missions. It is a part of an integrated plan, prepared by NASA in part in response to the Augustine Committee recommendations, to describe and advocate expanded and more aggressive efforts in the development of advanced space technologies. This expanded program will provide a technology basis for future space missions to which the U.S. aspires, and will help to regain technology leadership for the U.S. on a broader front. The six aspects of this integrated program/plan deal with focused technologies to support space sciences, exploration, transportation, platforms, and operations as well as provide a Research and Technology Base Program. This volume describes the technologies needed to support transportation systems, e.g., technologies needed for upgrades to current transportation systems and to provide reliable and efficient transportation for future space missions. The Office of Aeronautics, Exploration, and Technology (OAET) solicited technology needs from the major agency technology users and the aerospace industry community and formed a transportation technology team (appendix A) to develop a technology program to respond to those needs related to transportation technologies. This report addresses the results of that team activity. It is a strategic plan intended for use as a planning document rather than as a project management tool. It is anticipated that this document will be primarily utilized by research & technology (R&T) management at the various NASA Centers as well as by officials at NASA Headquarters and by industry in planning their corporate Independent Research and Development (IR&D) investments.
Described here are the Division's research goals, priorities and emphases for the next several years and an outline of longer term plans. Included are highlights of recent accomplishments, current activities in FY 1988, research emphases in FY 1989, and longer term future plans. Data and information systems, the Geodynamics Program, the Land Processes Program, the Oceanic Processes Program, the Atmospheric Dynamics and Radiation Program, the Atmospheric Chemistry Program, and space flight programs are among the topic covered.
The all encompassing objective of the NASA Microgravity Program is the use of space as a lab to conduct research and development. The on-orbit microgravity environment, with its substantially reduced buoyancy forces, hydrostatic pressures, and sedimentation, enables the conduction of scientific studies not possible on Earth. This environment allows processes to be isolated and controlled with an accuracy that cannot be obtained in the terrestrial environment. The Microgravity Science and Applications Div. has defined three major science categories in order to develop a program structure: fundamental science, including the study of the behavior of fluids, transport phenomena, condensed matter physics, and combustion science; materials science, including electronic and photonic materials, metals and alloys, and glasses and ceramics; and biotechnology, focusing on macromolecular crystal growth as well as cell and molecular science. Experiments in these areas seek to provide observations of complex phenomena and measurements of physical attributes with a precision that is enabled by the microgravity environment.
As part of the Civil Space Technology Initiative, NASA has established a space platform technology program which encompasses two ongoing programs as well as active planning for new platform initiatives in such areas as advanced heat rejection technologies, advanced space suits, advanced life support, and better support equipment (refrigerators, furnaces, etc.). Platform technology is extremely important because it provides both the basis for future missions and enhanced national competitiveness in space.
Thermionic energy conversion (TEC) is discussed. In recent TEC-topping analyses, overall plant efficiency (OPE) and cost of electricity (COE) improved slightly with current capabilities and substantially with fully matured technologies. Enhanced credibility derives from proven hot-corrosion protection for TEC by silicon-carbide clads in fossil fuel combustion products. Combustion augmentation with TEC (CATEC) affords minimal cost and plant perturbation, but with smaller OPE and COE improvements than more conventional topping applications. Risk minimization as well as comparative simplicity and convenience, favor CATEC for early market penetration. A program-management plan is proposed. Inputs, characteristics, outputs and capabilities are discussed.
The current focus of NASA on cost effective ways of achieving mission objectives has created a demand for a change in the risk management process of a program. At present, there is no guidelines as to when risk taking is justified due to high cost for a marginal improvement in risk. As a remedial step, Dr. Greenfield of NASA, developed a concept of risk management with risk as a resource. In the report, the following topics are addressed: (1) the risk management approach; (2) planning risk and program life cycle; (3) key components of a typical program; (4) the risk trading methodology; (5) review and decision process; (6) merits of the proposed risk planning approach; and (7) recommendations.
It is pointed out that the proper and early integration of logistics planning into the phased program planning process will drastically reduce these logistics costs. Phased project planning is a phased approach to the planning, approval, and conduct of major research and development activity. A progressive build-up of knowledge of all aspects of the program is provided. Elements of logistics are discussed together with aspects of integrated logistics support, logistics program planning, and logistics activities for phased programs. Continuing logistics support can only be assured if there is a comprehensive sequential listing of all logistics activities tied to the program schedule and a real-time inventory of assets.
The work plan described in this document has been developed to cover work to be performed by the U. S. Nuclear Data Program (USNDP) during Fiscal Year 2026 that begins on October 1, 2025. Previously, 26 work plans have been prepared for the nuclear data program covering FYs 2000-2025. This plan has been prepared in consultation with the members of the Coordinating Committee who represent the organizations participating in the program. Each Coordinating Committee member prepared a draft plan for his/her organization. Each contribution was integrated into a unified work plan. The draft plan was then circulated to the Coordinating Committee for comments and corrections before the final document was submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). As was done in previous years, the tasks proposed by the various organizations were reviewed internally according to the following criteria, which were developed considering the mission and goals outlined in past review panel reports and oversight committee discussions, and in consultation with the DOE program manager.
This project, Activity Planning with Resources for the Exploration of Space (APRES), uses a mixed-integer linear program (MILP) to solve planning problems. This work enables APRES to interpret a model file and output a solution with improved human readability. A plan model is optimized using a MILP solver and the best solution is taken. Once a plan is generated, it is parsed allowing it to retain only desired information and modified for swift human readability.