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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 NTRS1981

ATS-6 engineering performance report. Volume:Program and systems summaries: Mechanical and thermal details

The overall mission and spacecraft systems, testing, and operations are summarized. The mechanical subsystems are reviewed, encompassing mechanical design requirements; separation and deployment mechanisms; design and performance evaluation; and the television camera reflector monitor. Thermal control and contamination are discussed in terms of thermal control subsystems, design validation, subsystems performance, the advanced flight experiment, and the quartz-crystal microbalance contamination monitor.

Wales, R. O.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A study of autonomous rendezvous and docking systems

An overview of activities in the automatic rendezvous and docking area is presented. A representative mission scenario is covered. A statement of the problem is made and the requirements for the extraction of relative attitude and position data are delineated. A systems block diagram is included and the integral functions which go to make up an autonomous docking system is described. A system was simulated, and the digital simulation is described along with some representative results of a system based a laser ranging device as the sensor. A television camera as the ranging sensor was also considered, one video based automatic docking scheme is discussed along with some representative results.

Michael, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Anthropometric data error detecting and correction with a computer

Data obtained with automated anthropometric data aquisition equipment was examined for short term errors. The least squares curve fitting technique was used to ascertain which data values were erroneous and to replace them, if possible, with corrected values. Errors were due to random reflections of light, masking of the light rays, and other types of optical and electrical interference. It was found that the signals were impossible to eliminate from the initial data produced by the television cameras, and that this was primarily a software problem requiring a digital computer to refine the data off line. The specific data of interest was related to the arm reach envelope of a human being.

Chesak, D. D.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Environmental fog/rain visual display system for aircraft simulators

An environmental fog/rain visual display system for aircraft simulators is described. The electronic elements of the system include a real time digital computer, a caligraphic color display which simulates landing lights of selective intensity, and a color television camera for producing a moving color display of the airport runway as depicted on a model terrain board. The mechanical simulation elements of the system include an environmental chamber which can produce natural fog, nonhomogeneous fog, rain and fog combined, or rain only. A pilot looking through the aircraft wind screen will look through the fog and/or rain generated in the environmental chamber onto a viewing screen with the simulated color image of the airport runway thereon, and observe a very real simulation of actual conditions of a runway as it would appear through actual fog and/or rain.

Chase, W. D.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Oxygen atom reaction with shuttle materials at orbital altitudes

Surfaces of materials used in the space shuttle orbiter payload bay and exposed during STS-1 through STS-3 were examined after flight. Paints and polymers, in particular Kapton used on the television camera thermal blanket, showed significant change. Generally, the change was a loss of surface gloss on the polymer with apparent aging on the paint surfaces. The Kapton surfaces showed the greatest change, and postflight analyses showed mass loss of 4.8 percent on STS-2 and 35 percent on STS-3 for most heavily affected surfaces. Strong shadow patterns were evident. The greatest mass loss was measured on surfaces which were exposed to solar radiation in conjunction with exposure in the vehicle velocity vector. A mechanism which involves the interaction of atomic oxygen with organic polymer surfaces is proposed. Atomic oxygen is the major ambient species at low orbital altitudes and presents a flux of 8 x 10 to the 14th power atoms/cu cm sec for reaction. Correlation of the expected mass loss based on ground-based oxygen atom/polymer reaction rates shows lower mass loss of the Kapton than measured. Consideration of solar heating effects on reaction rates as well as the high oxygen atom energy due to the orbiter's orbital velocity brings the predicted and measured mass loss in surprisingly good agreement. Flight sample surface morphology comparison with ground based Kapton/oxygen atom exposures provides additional support for the oxygen interaction mechanism.

Leger, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Mars atmospheric opacity effects observed in the Northern Hemisphere by Viking orbiter imaging

Viking orbiter television camera observations of Mars contrasts show variations of atmospheric opacity in the Southern Hemisphere. The study is extended into the Northern Hemisphere, over a longer time period, and results in a detailed description of photometric changes at the lander sites, as seen from orbit. During the period of January 1977 to April 1978, a series of four storms at 202 deg, 264 deg, 40 deg and 86 deg latitudes have provided photometric changes and planetwide aerosol distributions for 18 months. It is found that the large, forward-scattering particles did not enter the atmosphere at the storm's onsets. A reduction of atmospheric transmission by over 20% at visual wavelengths remained for nearly one Martian year.

Thorpe, T. E.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Using computer graphics to enhance astronaut and systems safety

The Operator Station Design System (OSDS), a technique of applied computer graphics featuring a flexible interactive software package, is presented in terms of man-machine analyses, flight operations, and systems engineering. In man-machine analyses, the OSDS was used to determine if viewing from the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System was satisfactory and to identify requirements for a pallet-mounted television camera. In another study, extravehicular activity was analyzed using the example of emergency access to latches should they fail in orbit. In terms of flight operations, OSDS can be used to evaluate array monitoring of a solar array power system complex and to provide animated scenarios of mission operations. The most important application of OSDS is in relation to systems engineering, as OSDS can be used to analyze spacecraft and payload design and integration. Payload configurations are included.

Brown, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Automatic Guidance System for Welding Torches

Digital system automatically guides welding torch to produce squarebutt, V-groove and lap-joint weldments within tracking accuracy of +0.2 millimeter. Television camera observes and traverses weld joint, carrying welding torch behind. Image of joint digitized, and resulting data used to derive control signals that enable torch to track joint.

Smith, H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Techniques for the measurements of the line of sight velocity of high altitude Barium clouds

It is demonstrated that for maximizing the scientific output of future ion cloud release experiments a new type of instrument is required which will measure the line of sight velocity of the ion cloud by the Doppler Technique. A simple instrument was constructed using a 5 cm diameter solid Fabry-Perot etalon coupled to a low light level integrating television camera. It was demonstrated that the system has both the sensitivity and spectral resolution for the detection of ion clouds and the measurement of their line of sight Doppler velocity. The tests consisted of (1) a field experiment using a rocket barium cloud release to check the sensitivity, (2) laboratory experiments to show the spectral resolving capabilities of the system. The instrument was found to be operational if the source was brighter than about 1 kilorayleigh and it had a wavelength resolution much better than .2A which corresponds to about 12 km/sec or an acceleration potential of 100 volts.

Mende, S. B.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Development of an autonomous video rendezvous and docking system, phase 2

The critical elements of an autonomous video rendezvous and docking system were built and used successfully in a physical laboratory simulation. The laboratory system demonstrated that a small, inexpensive electronic package and a flight computer of modest size can analyze television images to derive guidance information for spacecraft. In the ultimate application, the system would use a docking aid consisting of three flashing lights mounted on a passive target spacecraft. Television imagery of the docking aid would be processed aboard an active chase vehicle to derive relative positions and attitudes of the two spacecraft. The demonstration system used scale models of the target spacecraft with working docking aids. A television camera mounted on a 6 degree of freedom (DOF) simulator provided imagery of the target to simulate observations from the chase vehicle. A hardware video processor extracted statistics from the imagery, from which a computer quickly computed position and attitude. Computer software known as a Kalman filter derived velocity information from position measurements.

Tietz, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Experiments with optical instruments

Photography was used to document known defects of the periscopic instrument used to check spacecrews in the descent module of the Soyuz T-4. The screen of the altitude control unit was also photographed and revealed glare in the central field of vision. A light filter was installed in the peripheral window to observe the Sun and horizon of the Earth. Checking attitude control by means of polaroids enabled a 5 further advance (500 km) into the zone of shadow. The attitude control unit was used to check the orbital orientation with respect to the vertical during the night segment of flight. A lens screen was used for the emission glow of the atmosphere at an altitude of about 100 km. Docking of the Soyuz T-4 was observed by means of an onboard display, a television camera, and a sighting device. From a distance of about 5 km, the space station could be seen as a bright dot in the sighting device. Docking occurred in shadow.

Savinykh, V.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Return to Jupiter - Project Galileo

The mission profile, instrumentation, and mission objectives of the Galileo probe are described. Scheduled for Shuttle launch in 1986, with a boost from the Centaur upper stage, the probe will require over 2 yr to reach the Jovian system. An atmospheric entry probe will be released during Jupiter approach, and the orbiting module will relay the temperature, pressure, radio signals, spectroscopy, magnetometry, and particle counts, originating from the parachuting probe. The orbiting module will then continue on to a series of flybys and orbits around the Jovian moons by using a gravity assist from Jupiter after each pass of a moon. The orbiter will record spectrometric, radiometric, dust, visual, magnetic, and radio propagation data. The television camera is a CCD device with 640,000 diodes forming an 800 x 800 array in one square centimeter.

Johnson, T. V.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A search for Earth-crossing asteroids, supplement

The ground based electro-optical deep space surveillance program involves a network of computer controlled 40 inch 1m telescopes equipped with large format, low light level, television cameras of the intensified silicon diode array type which is to replace the Baker-Nunn photographic camera system for artificial satellite tracking. A prototype observatory was constructed where distant artificial satellites are discriminated from stars in real time on the basis of the satellites' proper motion. Hardware was modified and the technique was used to observe and search for minor planets. Asteroids are now routinely observed and searched. The complete observing cycle, including the 2"-3" measurement of position, requires about four minutes at present. The commonality of asteroids and artificial satellite observing, searching, data reduction, and orbital analysis is stressed. Improvements to the hardware and software as well as operational techniques are considered.

Taff, L. G.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A Far Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph for Shuttle

The development of the Far Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (FUVIS) Shuttle sortie missions, is described. Objectives of the experiment are to obtain spatially-resolved far-ultraviolet spectra of extraterrestrial sources, including emission-line and reflection nebulae, diffuse background radiation, extragalactic objects, and comets. The use of fast focal ratio (f/1) Schmidt optics and an opaque CsI photocathode which affords high quantum efficiency in the far-UV provides the maximum possible diffuse source sensitivity. Measured emission line intensities of 5 Rayleighs (or continua of intensity 1 R/A) in 300 sec exposures are expected. The development includes a dedicated pointing platform and a low light level television camera for payload specialist use in target acquisition and guiding.

Carruthers, G. R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Space experiments with particle accelerators

Electron and plasma beams and neutral gas plumes were injected into the space environment by instruuments on Spacelab 1, and various diagnostic measurements including television camera observations were performed. The results yield information on vehicle charging and neutralization, beam-plasma interactions, and ionization enhancement by neutral beam injection.

Obayashi, T.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Remotely-Controlled Docking System

Spring-loaded drogue cones tolerate and correct misalinement. Attachment Mechanism equipped with spring-loaded latches, shock-absorbing springs, and self-alining conical mating surfaces. Docking system includes three attachment mechanisms plus television camera that views set of crosshairs for alinement of vehicle and payload. Originally developed for Space Shuttle, mechanism adapted for robot manipulator arms, trailer hitches, and docking devices for in-flight refueling of airplanes.

Chandler, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The Hopkins ultraviolet telescope

The Shuttle is scheduled to carry the Hopkins UV Telescope (HUT) aloft in 1986. HUT will be one of three telescopes on the mission and will be sensitive to the 450-1800 A interval. Its primary goals will be observations of Halley's Comet, the planets, distant galaxies and quasars. It will be controlled by Spacelab personnel and features a 0.9 m primary mirror, a spectrograph on the focal plane, and an Si intensified image television camera for on-line image monitoring. The main component of the spectrograph will be a 1024 channel self-scanning Reticon photodiode array coupled by optic fibers to the microchannel detector plates. HUT is presently undergoing qualification testing.

Davidsen, A. F.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Wave-particle interactions induced by SEPAC on Spacelab 1 Wave observations

Space experiments with particle accelerators (SEPAC) flew on Spacelab 1 in November and December 1983. SEPAC included an accelerator which emitted electrons into the ionospheric plasma with energies up to 5 keV and currents up to 300 mA. The SEPAC equipment also included an energetic plasma generator, a neutral gas generator, and an extensive array of diagnostics. The diagnostics included plasma wave detectors, and energetic electron analyzer, a photometer, a high sensitivity television camera, a Langmuir probe and a pressure gage. Twenty-eight experiments were performed during the mission to investigate beam-plasma interactions, electron beam dynamics, plasma beam propagation, and vehicle charging. The wave-particle interactions were monitored by the plasma wave instrumentation, by the energetic electron detector and by the optical detectors. All show evidence of wave-particle interactions, which are described in this paper.

Taylor, W. W. L.↗