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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 NTRS1971

The characterization of facsimile camera systems for lunar and planetary surface exploration

Advantages of facsimile camera systems are reviewed for imagery of lunar and planetary surfaces from stationary or stopped remotely controlled vehicles. They include: better geometric fidelity than television systems, more picture elements per frame, ability to take single frame panoramic pictures, a very high contrast ratio within a picture, a choice of one or more narrow-band spectral responses over a wide possible range, image transmission over a low bit-rate communications channel without storage, very low power, small size, low weight, and ruggedizability to meet space flight requirements. Systems of this kind are under development for the 1975 Viking Martian lander, and have been used by the Soviets on Lunas and Lunokhod laboratory and field evaluation of a completed facsimile camera system is presented. The applicability of facsimile cameras to lunar and planetary rovers is demonstrated.

Eisenman, A.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Evaluation of the MSFC facsimile camera system as a tool for extraterrestrial geologic exploration

Utility of the Marshall Space Flight (MSFC) facsimile camera system for extraterrestrial geologic exploration was investigated during the spring of 1971 near Merriam Crater in northern Arizona. Although the system with its present hard-wired recorder operates erratically, the imagery showed that the camera could be developed as a prime imaging tool for automated missions. Its utility would be enhanced by development of computer techniques that utilize digital camera output for construction of topographic maps, and it needs increased resolution for examining near field details. A supplementary imaging system may be necessary for hand specimen examination at low magnification.

Wolfe, E. W.↗
NASA NTRS1972

A liquid xenon radioisotope camera.

A new type of gamma-ray camera is discussed that makes use of electron avalanches in liquid xenon and is currently under development. It is shown that such a radioisotope camera promises many advantages over any other existing gamma-ray cameras. Spatial resolution better than 1 mm and counting rates higher than one million C/sec are possible. An energy resolution of 11% FWHM has recently been achieved with a collimated Hg-203 source using a parallel-plate ionization chamber containing a Frisch grid.

Zaklad, H.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Use of an infrared-imaging camera to obtain convective heating distributions.

The IR emission from the surface of a wind-tunnel model is determined as a function of time with the aid of an infrared-sensitive imaging camera. Prior calibration of the IR camera relates the emission to the surface temperature of the model. The time history of the surface temperature is then related to the heating rate by standard techniques. The output of the camera is recorded in analog form, digitized, and processed by a computer. In addition, real-time visual displays of the IR emissions are obtained as pictures on an oscilloscope screen.

Compton, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Electrostatic camera system functional design study

A functional design study for an electrostatic camera system for application to planetary missions is presented. The electrostatic camera can produce and store a large number of pictures and provide for transmission of the stored information at arbitrary times after exposure. Preliminary configuration drawings and circuit diagrams for the system are illustrated. The camera system's size, weight, power consumption, and performance are characterized. Tradeoffs between system weight, power, and storage capacity are identified.

Botticelli, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Exposure interlock for oscilloscope cameras

An exposure interlock has been developed for oscilloscope cameras which cuts off ambient light from the oscilloscope screen before the shutter of the camera is tripped. A flap is provided which may be selectively positioned to an open position which enables viewing of the oscilloscope screen and a closed position which cuts off the oscilloscope screen from view and simultaneously cuts off ambient light from the oscilloscope screen. A mechanical interlock is provided between the flap to be activated to its closed position before the camera shutter is tripped, thereby preventing overexposure of the film.

Spitzer, C. R.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Testing of the Apollo 15 Metric Camera System.

Description of tests conducted (1) to assess the quality of Apollo 15 Metric Camera System data and (2) to develop production procedures for total block reduction. Three strips of metric photography over the Hadley Rille area were selected for the tests. These photographs were utilized in a series of evaluation tests culminating in an orbitally constrained block triangulation solution. Results show that film deformations up to 25 and 5 microns are present in the mapping and stellar materials, respectively. Stellar reductions can provide mapping camera orientations with an accuracy that is consistent with the accuracies of other parameters in the triangulation solutions. Pointing accuracies of 4 to 10 microns can be expected for the mapping camera materials, depending on variations in resolution caused by changing sun angle conditions.

Helmering, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Design and evaluation of controls for drift, video gain, and color balance in spaceborne facsimile cameras

The facsimile camera is an optical-mechanical scanning device which has become an attractive candidate as an imaging system for planetary landers and rovers. This paper presents electronic techniques which permit the acquisition and reconstruction of high quality images with this device, even under varying lighting conditions. These techniques include a control for low frequency noise and drift, an automatic gain control, a pulse-duration light modulation scheme, and a relative spectral gain control. Taken together, these techniques allow the reconstruction of radiometrically accurate and properly balanced color images from facsimile camera video data. These techniques have been incorporated into a facsimile camera and reproduction system, and experimental results are presented for each technique and for the complete system.

Katzberg, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Multiplex imaging with multiple-pinhole cameras

When making photographs in X rays or gamma rays with a multiple-pinhole camera, the individual images of an extended object such as the sun may be allowed to overlap. Then the situation is in many ways analogous to that in a multiplexing device such as a Fourier spectroscope. Some advantages and problems arising with such use of the camera are discussed, and expressions are derived to describe the relative efficacy of three exposure/postprocessing schemes using multiple-pinhole cameras.

Brown, C.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Radiometric performance of the Viking Mars lander cameras

The Viking lander cameras feature an array of 12 silicon photodiodes for electronic focus selection and multispectral imaging. Comparisons of absolute radiometric calibrations of the four cameras selected for the mission to Mars with performance predictions based on their design data revealed minor discrepancies. These discrepancies were caused primarily by the method used to calibrate the photosensor array and apparently also from light reflections internal to the array. The sensitivity and dynamic range of all camera channels are found to be sufficient for high quality pictures, providing that the commandable gains and offsets can be optimized for the scene radiance; otherwise, the quantization noise may be too high or the dynamic range too low for an adequate characterization of the scene.

Huck, F. O.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Solid state television camera

The design, fabrication, and tests of a solid state television camera using a new charge-coupled imaging device are reported. An RCA charge-coupled device arranged in a 512 by 320 format and directly compatible with EIA format standards was the sensor selected. This is a three-phase, sealed surface-channel array that has 163,840 sensor elements, which employs a vertical frame transfer system for image readout. Included are test results of the complete camera system, circuit description and changes to such circuits as a result of integration and test, maintenance and operation section, recommendations to improve the camera system, and a complete set of electrical and mechanical drawing sketches.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1976

Prediction of Viking lander camera image quality

Formulations are presented that permit prediction of image quality as a function of camera performance, surface radiance properties, and lighting and viewing geometry. Predictions made for a wide range of surface radiance properties reveal that image quality depends strongly on proper camera dynamic range command and on favorable lighting and viewing geometry. Proper camera dynamic range commands depend mostly on the surface albedo that will be encountered. Favorable lighting and viewing geometries depend mostly on lander orientation with respect to the diurnal sun path over the landing site, and tend to be independent of surface albedo and illumination scattering function. Side lighting with low sun elevation angles (10 to 30 deg) is generally favorable for imaging spatial details and slopes, whereas high sun elevation angles are favorable for measuring spectral reflectances.

Huck, F. O.↗
NASA NTRS1976

A system for extracting 3-dimensional measurements from a stereo pair of TV cameras

Obtaining accurate three-dimensional (3-D) measurement from a stereo pair of TV cameras is a task requiring camera modeling, calibration, and the matching of the two images of a real 3-D point on the two TV pictures. A system which models and calibrates the cameras and pairs the two images of a real-world point in the two pictures, either manually or automatically, was implemented. This system is operating and provides three-dimensional measurements resolution of + or - mm at distances of about 2 m.

Yakimovsky, Y.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Solid state, CCD-buried channel, television camera study and design

An investigation of an all solid state television camera design, which uses a buried channel charge-coupled device (CCD) as the image sensor, was undertaken. A 380 x 488 element CCD array was utilized to ensure compatibility with 525 line transmission and display monitor equipment. Specific camera design approaches selected for study and analysis included (a) optional clocking modes for either fast (1/60 second) or normal (1/30 second) frame readout, (b) techniques for the elimination or suppression of CCD blemish effects, and (c) automatic light control and video gain control techniques to eliminate or minimize sensor overload due to bright objects in the scene. Preferred approaches were determined and integrated into a design which addresses the program requirements for a deliverable solid state TV camera.

Hoagland, K. A.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Solid state television camera (CCD-buried channel)

The development of an all solid state television camera, which uses a buried channel charge coupled device (CCD) as the image sensor, was undertaken. A 380 x 488 element CCD array is utilized to ensure compatibility with 525 line transmission and display monitor equipment. Specific camera design approaches selected for study and analysis included (a) optional clocking modes for either fast (1/60 second) or normal (1/30 second) frame readout, (b) techniques for the elimination or suppression of CCD blemish effects, and (c) automatic light control and video gain control (i.e., ALC and AGC) techniques to eliminate or minimize sensor overload due to bright objects in the scene. Preferred approaches were determined and integrated into a deliverable solid state TV camera which addressed the program requirements for a prototype qualifiable to space environment conditions.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1977

Solid state television camera (CCD-buried channel), revision 1

An all solid state television camera was designed which uses a buried channel charge coupled device (CCD) as the image sensor. A 380 x 488 element CCD array is utilized to ensure compatibility with 525-line transmission and display monitor equipment. Specific camera design approaches selected for study and analysis included (1) optional clocking modes for either fast (1/60 second) or normal (1/30 second) frame readout, (2) techniques for the elimination or suppression of CCD blemish effects, and (3) automatic light control and video gain control techniques to eliminate or minimize sensor overload due to bright objects in the scene. Preferred approaches were determined and integrated into a deliverable solid state TV camera which addressed the program requirements for a prototype qualifiable to space environment conditions.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1977

Cameras for semiconductor process control

The application of X-ray topography to semiconductor process control is described, considering the novel features of the high speed camera and the difficulties associated with this technique. The most significant results on the effects of material defects on device performance are presented, including results obtained using wafers processed entirely within this institute. Defects were identified using the X-ray camera and correlations made with probe data. Also included are temperature dependent effects of material defects. Recent applications and improvements of X-ray topographs of silicon-on-sapphire and gallium arsenide are presented with a description of a real time TV system prototype and of the most recent vacuum chuck design. Discussion is included of our promotion of the use of the camera by various semiconductor manufacturers.

Porter, W. A.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Engineering study for pallet adapting the Apollo laser altimeter and photographic camera system for the Lidar Test Experiment on orbital flight tests 2 and 4

A Laser Altimeter and Mapping Camera System was included in the Apollo Lunar Orbital Experiment Missions. The backup system, never used in the Apollo Program, is available for use in the Lidar Test Experiments on the STS Orbital Flight Tests 2 and 4. Studies were performed to assess the problem associated with installation and operation of the Mapping Camera System in the STS. They were conducted on the photographic capabilities of the Mapping Camera System, its mechanical and electrical interface with the STS, documentation, operation and survivability in the expected environments, ground support equipment, test and field support.

Kuebert, E. J.↗