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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 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Atmospheric environment for space shuttle (STS-29) launch

This report presents a summary of selected atmospheric conditions observed near Space Shuttle STS-29 launch time on March 13, 1989, at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Values of ambient pressure, temperature, moisture, ground winds, visual observations (cloud), and winds aloft are included. The sequence of pre-launch Jimsphere-measured vertical wind profiles is given in this report. The final atmospheric tape, which consists of wind and thermodynamic parameters versus altitude, for STS-29 vehicle ascent has been constructed. The STS-29 ascent atmospheric data tape has been constructed by Marshall Space Flight Center's Earth Science and Applications Division to provide an internally consistent data set for use in post-flight performance assessments.

Jasper, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Atmospheric environment for space shuttle (STS-30) launch

This report presents a summary of selected atmospheric conditions observed near Space Shuttle STS-30 launch time on May 4, 1989, at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Values of ambient pressure, temperature, moisture, ground winds, visual observations (cloud), and winds aloft are included. The sequence of pre-launch Jimsphere-measured vertical wind profiles is given in this report. The final atmospheric tape, which consists of wind and thermodynamic parameters versus altitude, for STS-30 vehicle ascent has been constructed. The STS-30 ascent atmospheric data tape has been constructed by Marshall Space Flight Center's Earth Science and Applications Division to provide an internally consistent data set for use in post-flight performance assessments.

Jasper, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Feasibility study for a microwave-powered ozone sniffer aircraft

The preliminary design of a high-altitude, remotely-piloted, atmospheric-sampling aircraft powered by microwave energy beamed from ground-based antenna was completed. The vehicle has a gross weight of 6720 pounds and is sized to carry a 1000 pound payload at an altitude of 100,000 feet. The underside of the wing serves as the surface of a rectenna designed to receive microwave energy at a power density of 700 watts per square meter and the wing has a planform area of 3634 square feet to absorb the required power at an optimum Mach number M = 0.44. The aircraft utilizes a horizontal tail and a canard for longitudinal control and to enhance the structural rigidity of the twin fuselage configuration. The wing structure is designed to withstand a gust-induced load factor n = 3 at cruise altitude but the low-wing loading of the aircraft makes it very sensitive to gusts at low altitudes, which may induce load factors in excess of 20. A structural load alleviation system is therefore proposed to limit actual loads to the designed structural limit. Losses will require transmitted power on the order of megawatts to be radiated to the aircraft from the ground station, presenting environmental problems. Since the transmitting antenna would have a diameter of several hundred feet, it would not be readily transportable, so we propose that a single antenna be constructed at a site from which the aircraft is flown. The aircraft would be towed aloft to an initial altitude at which the microwave power would be utilized. The aircraft would climb to cruise altitude in a spiral flight path and orbit the transmitter in a gentle turn.

Botros, David F.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Atmospheric Environment for Space Shuttle (STS-28) Launch

A summary is presented of selected atmospheric conditions observed near Space Shuttle STS-28 launch time on August 8, 1989. STS-28 carried a Department of Defense payload and the flight azimuth is denoted by a reference flight azimuth, since the actual flight azimuth is not known. Values of ambient pressure, temperature, moisture, ground winds, visual observations (cloud), and winds aloft are included. The sequence of prelaunch Jimsphere-measured vertical wind profiles is given. The final atmospheric tape, which consists of wind and thermodynamic parameters versus altitude, for STS-28 vehicle ascent was constructed and represents the best estimate of the launch environment to 400,000 ft altitude that was traversed by the STS-28 vehicle. The STS-28 ascent atmospheric data tape was constructed by Marshall Space Flight Center's Earth Science and Applications Division to provide an internally consistent data set for use in post-flight performance assessments.

Jasper, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Atmospheric environment for space shuttle (STS-33) launch

A summary is presented of selected atmospheric conditions observed near space shuttle STS-33 at launch time. STS-33 carried a DOD payload and the flight azimuth is denoted by a reference flight azimuth, since the actual flight azimuth is not known. Values of ambient pressure, temperature, moisture, ground winds, visual observations (clouds), and winds aloft are included. The sequence of pre-launch Jimsphere measured vertical wind profiles is given. The final atmospheric tape, which consists of wind and thermodynamic parameters versus altitude, for STS-33 vehicle ascent, was constructed. The STS-33 ascent atmospheric data tape was constructed by NASA-Marshall to provide an internally consistent data set for use in postflight performance assessments and represents the best estimates of the launch environment to the 400,000 ft altitude that was traversed by the STS-33 vehicle.

Jasper, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Atmospheric environment for Space Shuttle (STS-32) launch

A summary of selected atmospheric conditions observed near space shuttle STS-32 launch time on January 9, 1990, at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, are presented. Values of ambient pressure, temperature, moisture, ground winds, visual observations (clouds), and winds aloft are included. The sequence of pre-launch Jimsphere-measured vertical wind profiles is also presented. The final atmospheric tape, which consists of wind and thermodynamic parameters versus altitude, for STS-32 vehicle ascent was constructed. The STS-32 ascent atmospheric data tape was constructed to provide an internally consistent data set for use in postflight performance assessments and represents the best estimate of the launch environment that was traversed by the STS-32 vehicle.

Jasper, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Atmospheric environment for Space Shuttle (STS-31) launch

A summary of selected atmospheric conditions observed near space shuttle STS-31 launch time on April 24, 1990, at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, are presented. Values of ambient pressure, temperature, moisture, ground winds, visual observations (clouds), and winds aloft are included. The sequence of pre-launch Jimsphere-measured vertical wind profiles is also presented. The final atmospheric tape, which consists if wind and thermodynamic parameters versus altitude, for STS-31 vehicle ascent was constructed. The STS-31 ascent atmospheric data tape was constructed to provide an internally consistent data set for use in postflight performance assessments and represent the best estimated of the launch environment to the 400,000 feet altitude that was traversed by the STS-31 vehicle.

Jasper, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Atmospheric environment for space shuttle (STS-36) launch

A summary of selected atmospheric conditions observed near space shuttle STS-36 launch time on February 28, 1990, at Kennedy Space Center, Florida was presented. STS-36 carried a Department of Defense payload and the flight azimuth is not known. Values of ambient pressure, temperature, moisture, ground winds, visual observations (cloud), and winds aloft are included. The sequence of pre-launch Jimsphere-measured vertical wind profiles is given. The final atmospheric tape, which consists of wind and thermodynamic parameters versus altitude, for STS-36 vehicle ascent was constructed. The STS-36 ascent atmospheric data tape was constructed to provide an internally consistent data set for use in postflight performance assessments and represent the best estimate of the launch environment to the 400,000 feet altitude that was traversed by the STS-36 vehicle.

Jasper, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Atmospheric environment for space shuttle (STS-34) launch

A summary of selected atmospheric conditions observed near space shuttle STS-34 launch time on October 18, 1989, at Kennedy Space Center, Florida is presented. Values of ambient pressure, temperature, moisture, ground winds, visual observations (clouds), and winds aloft are included. The sequence of pre-launch Jimsphere-measured vertical wind profiles is given. The final atmospheric tape, which consists of wind and thermodynamic parameters vs. altitude, for STS-34 vehicle ascent was constructed to provide an internally consistent data set for use in post-flight performance assessments. It represents the best estimates of the launch environment to the 400,000 feet altitude that was traversed by the STS-34 vehicle.

Jasper, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Soil moisture and the persistence of North American drought

Numerical sensitivity experiments on the effects of soil moisture on North American summertime climate are performed using a 12-layer global atmospheric general circulation model. Consideration is given to the hypothesis that reduced soil moisture may induce and amplify warm, dry summers of midlatitude continental interiors. The simulations resemble the conditions of the summer of 1988, including an extensive drought over much of North America. It is found that a reduction in soil moisture leads to an increase in surface temperature, lower surface pressure, increased ridging aloft, and a northward shift of the jet stream. It is shown that low-level moisture advection from the Gulf of Mexico is important in the maintenance of persistent soil moisture deficits.

Oglesby, Robert J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Interpretation of ground-based radiometric observations in terms of a gravity wave model

An analysis is presented of 2-hour and 4-hour segments of data taken at Denver, Colorado, on February 3, 1984, by a ground-based radiometer designed and operated by the Wave Propagation Laboratory of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The zenith-viewing instrument has two moisture-sensing and four temperature-sensing channels. It is demonstrated that a peak at a period of 10 min, present in the spectra of the measured brightness temperature and of the derived geopotential heights, thicknesses, and vertically integrated water vapor content, is due to an internal gravity wave generated by wind shear in the jet aloft. This analysis shows that the radiometer has the sensitivity to detect such disturbances and that the mathematical inversion technique used to retrieve the geopotential field and other integrated quantities retains the derived information as well. Finally, a linear expression is derived which relates the brightness temperature to the atmospheric temperature, density, humidity, and cloud liquid perturbation fields.

Canavero, F. G.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Aircraft microwave observations and simulations of deep convection from 18 to 183 GHz. I - Observations

Aircraft passive microwave observations of deep atmospheric convection at frequencies between 18 and 183 GHz are presented in conjunction with visible and infrared satellite and aircraft observations and ground-based radar observations. Deep convective cores are indicated in the microwave data by negative brightness temperature, T/(B) deviations from the land background (270 K) to extreme T(B) values below 100 K at 37, 92, and 183 GHz and below 200 K at 18 GHz. These T(B) minima, due to scattering by ice held aloft by the intense updrafts, are well correlated with areas of high radar reflectivity. For this land background case, T(B) is inversely correlated with rain rate at all frequencies due to T(B)-ice-rain correlations. Mean Delta-T between vertically polarized and horizontally polarized radiance in precipitation areas is approximately 6 K at both 18 GHz and 37 GHz, indicating nonspherical precipitation-size ice particles with a preferred horizontal orientation. Convective cores not observed in the visible and infrared data are clearly defined in the microwave observations, and borders of convective rain areas are well defined using the high-frequency (90 GHz and greater) microwave observations.

Adler, Robert F.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Budgets of reactive nitrogen, hydrocarbons, and ozone over the Amazon forest during the wet season

The atmospheric composition over the Amazon forest during the wet season is simulated with a one-dimensional photochemical model for the planetary boundary layer (PBL) extending from the ground to 2000-m altitude. The model is constrained and evaluated using observations from the Amazon Boundary Layer Experiment 2B field expedition. Results indicate that only about 20 percent of NO(x) emitted by soils is exported to the atmosphere above the forest canopy. The balance is deposited to vegetation before leaving the canopy layer. The small NO(x) flux that escapes from the canopy is nevertheless sufficient to account for the low NO concentrations observed in the PBL. Soil emission can account for only a portion of NO(y) observed over the forest. Organic nitrates of nonbiogenic origin likely account for the balance of NO(y). Enhancements of CO observed in the PBL appear to reflect direct emission of CO by the forest ecosystem. Concentrations of O3 in the PBL are regulated largely by transport from aloft and deposition to the canopy, with little net influence from photochemistry. Ozone is photochemically produced immediately above the forest where NO concentrations are relatively high, but is photochemically consumed in the upper portion of the PBL.

Jacob, Daniel J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Synoptic conditions producing cirrus during the FIRE cirrus IFO

Although direct observations of cirrus clouds by the FIRE research aircraft were usually confined to the area of Intensive Field Observation (IFO) surface network, these cirrus were generally part of a more extensive zone of upper level cloudiness. It is these large scale patterns of cirriform cloud and their relationship to the corresponding synoptic environment which are the prime focus. Three conceptual models are presented and each of the individual cases are classified into one of these categories. Although the cases manifest significant differences in intensity and small scale structure, it is believed that they are best viewed in this unified context. The descriptions given are mostly qualitative, however, quantitative descriptions of the synoptic control and its relationship to cloud structure for all the IFO cases are summarized. The synoptic situations in which extensive cirriform clouds were observed are classified into three basic types: warm front cases, cold front cases, and closed low aloft cases. A simplified summary of each type of situation is presented.

Starr, David OC.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Overview of the 27-28 October FIRE Cirrus IFO case: Meteorology and cloud fields

A detailed description of the meteorology of the 27 and 28 October FIRE Cirrus IFO case is presented. The progression of synoptic scale events over the region is reviewed including the evolution of surface and upper air features, i.e., the surface cyclone that formed to the west over Montana on the 27th and moved through Wisconsin late on the 28th and the associated short wave ridge aloft. A summary of the corresponding cloud conditions observed over the area of aircraft operations is given including characterization of the cloud forms and cloud heights based on information derived from debriefings of the aircrews, surface observations, airborne (ER-2) and surface lidars observations and satellite imagery (GOES). The correspondence between the resolved meteorological features (subsynoptic rawinsonde network) and the development of cloud layers is illustrated. In particular, the discussion emphasizes the relationship between vertical thermodynamic structure and the character and vertical structure of the cloud fields. The role of the larger scale in maintaining the observed vertical structure is quantified both with respect to its control via forced ascent and advective processes. Based on results of these analyses, conclusions are drawn with respect to the design of future field missions.

Starr, David OC.↗
NASA NTRS1990

High altitude, microwave-powered atmospheric sampling aircraft

The preliminary design af a high altitude, remotely piloted, atmospheric sampling aircraft powered by microwave energy beamed from a ground based antenna has been completed. The aircraft utilizes a horizontal tail and a canard for longitudinal control and to enhance the structural rigidity of the twin fuselage configuration. The wing structure is designed to withstand a gust induced load factor of n equals 3 at cruise altitude, but the low wing loading of the aircraft makes it very sensitive to gusts at lower altitudes, where induced load factors may be in excess of 20. Therefore, a structural load alleviation system is proposed to limit actual loads to the designed structural limit. Since the transmitting antenna would have a diameter of several hundred feet, it would not be readily transportable; so, it is proposed that a single antenna be constructed at a site from which the aircraft is to be flown. The aircraft would be towed aloft to an initial altitude at which the microwave power would be utilized. The aircraft would climb to cruise altitude in a spiral flight path and then orbit the transmitter in a gentle turn.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1990

Atmospheric environment for space shuttle (STS-41) launch

A summary of selected atmospheric conditions observed near space shuttle STS-41 launch time on October 6, 1990, at Kennedy Space Center, Florida are presented. Values of ambient pressure, temperature, moisture, ground winds, visual observations (clouds), and winds aloft are included. The sequence of prelaunch Jimsphere-measured vertical wind profiles is given. The final atmospheric tape, which consists of wind and thermodynamic parameters versus altitude, for STS-41 vehicle ascent was constructed. The STS-41 ascent atmospheric data tape was constructed by Marshall Space Flight Center's Earth Science and Applications Division to provide an internally consistent data set for use in postflight performance assessments and represents the best estimate of the launch environment to the 400,000 ft altitude that was traversed by the STS-41 vehicle.

Jasper, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Atmospheric environment for space shuttle (STS-38) launch

A summary of selected atmospheric conditions observed near space shuttle STS-38 launch time on November 15, 1990, at Kennedy Space Center is presented. STS-38 carried a Department of Defense payload and the flight azimuth in this report will be denoted by a reference flight azimuth, since the actual flight azimuth is not known. Values of ambient pressure, temperature, moisture, ground winds, visual observation (cloud), and winds aloft are included. The sequence of prelaunch Jimsphere-measured vertical wind profiles is presented. The final atmospheric tape, which consists of wind and thermodynamic parameters versus altitude, for STS-38 vehicle ascent was constructed. The STS-38 ascent atmospheric data tape was constructed by Marshall Space Flight Center's Earth Science and Applications Division to provide an internally consistent data set for use in postflight performance assessments and represents the best estimate of the launch environment to the 400,000-ft altitude that was traversed by the STS-38 vehicle.

Jasper, G. L.↗