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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 325 records · Page 18

Phased-Array Satcom Antennas Developed for Aeronautical Applications

The Advanced Communications (AC) for Aeronautics research at the NASA Glenn Research Center integrates both aeronautics and space communications technologies to achieve the national objective of upgrading the present National Airspace System infrastructure by responding to the agency's aviation capacity and safety goals. One concept for future air traffic management, free flight, presents a significantly increased demand for communications systems capacity and performance in comparison to current air traffic management practices. Current aeronautical communications systems are incapable of supporting the anticipated demands, and the new digital data communications links that are being developed, or are in the early stages of implementation, are not primarily designed to carry the data-intensive free flight air traffic management (ATM) communications loads. Emerging satellite communications technologies are the best potential long-term solution to provide the capacity and performance necessary to enable a mature free flight concept to be deployed. NASA AC/ATM funded the development of a Boeing-designed Ku-band transmit phased-array antenna, a combined in-house and contract effort. Glenn designed and integrated an Aeronautical Mobile Satellite Communications terminal based on the transmit phased-array antenna and a companion receive phased-array antenna previously developed by Boeing.

Kerczewski, Robert J.↗

Dichroic Design for the Orbiting VLBI Earth Station Antenna

In this paper the design and performance of a single screen frequency selective surface with gridded square loop patch elements are described for diplexing the X-and Ku-band signals in an Orbiting Very Long Baseline Interferometer (OVLBI) earth station reflector antenna system.

gridded square element resonant frequency drift Or↗

Multiprocessor DSP for real-time data processing on Earth orbiting scatterometers

The implementation of a Multi DSP radar signal processor for a Ku-Band Earth orbiting scatterometer is discussed. A testbed has been assembled using a combination of commercial DSP hardware and spaceflight components to evaluate the proposed multiprocessing approaches. Test results of real-time radar echo processing are presented, as well as proposed designs for future investigation.

digital signal processing scatterometer radar↗

Ground Calibration of an Orbiting Spacecraft Transmitter

The SeaWinds Calibration Ground Station (CGS) is a novel Ku-band receiving station that supports the June 1999-launched JPL/NASA SeaWinds scatterometer radar which measures the near-surface wind speeds over 90% of the ice-free oceans.

QuickSCAT SeaWinds Calibration Ground Station CGS↗

Summary Report of Mission Acceleration Measurement for STS-87, Launched November 19, 1997

Two accelerometer systems, the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment and the Space Acceleration Measurement System, were used to measure and record the microgravity environment of the Orbiter Columbia during the STS-87 mission in November-December 1997. Data from two separate Space Acceleration Measurement System units were telemetered to the ground during the mission and data plots were displayed for investigators of the Fourth United States Microgravity Payload experiments in near real-time using the World Wide Web. Plots generated using Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment data (telemetered to the ground using a tape delay) were provided to the investigators using the World Wide Web approximately twelve hours after data recording. Disturbances in the microgravity environment as recorded by these instruments are grouped by source type: Orbiter systems, on-board activities, payload operations, and unknown sources. The environment related to the Ku-band antenna dither, Orbiter structural modes, attitude deadband collapses, water dump operations, crew sleep, and crew exercise was comparable to the effects of these sources on previous Orbiter missions. Disturbances related to operations of the Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment and Space Acceleration Measurement Systems that were not observed on previous missions are detailed. The effects of Orbiter cabin and airlock depressurization and extravehicular activities are also reported for the first time. A set of data plots representing the entire mission is included in the CD-ROM version of this report.

Rogers, Melissa J. B.↗

SCADA Application for ACTS Technology

A satellite and earth terminal systems study was initiated by the NASA Advanced Communication Technology Satellite (ACTS) Project Office and was performed by Hughes Network Systems. The purpose of the study was to investigate the potential of a specialized Ka-band spot beam satellite to reduce the cost of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) communications. The study showed that the technology exists to build a system that could be priced less than 77permonthperRTU(remoteterminalunit),includingearthstationequipment.TheRTUearthstation,orUSAT,wouldcost a quantity level of 500000. SCADA systems which poll RTU's rapidly will not be as economical to serve by satellite. A parallel study initiated by Southern California Edison and performed by Weber State University found similar satellite economics at Ku-band, but did not address earth station manufacturing cost. Market size estimates support a phased development approach. The first phase would be prototype system development at both Ku- and Ka-bands. NASA is currently sponsoring an additional study that would develop more detailed specifications.

B. Fairbanks↗

41-G Mission Report - Summary

Challenger's sixth flight launched from KSC at 6:03 CDT October 5, 1984. It returned to Kennedy eight days later, landing on October 13th. Since 41-G was a planned EVA flight, two prime EMUs and one backup short EMU were stowed in the Airlock. No MMUs were carried. Astronaut A and Astronaut B successfully accomplished their 3 l/2 hour EVA on October 11th, Flight Day 7 of the mission. This EVA took place the day after the EMU Checkout and Maintenance Recharge activities. During this time Astronaut A and Astronaut B completed the planned installation of the Orbital Refueling System Ball Valve mod kit as well as an unplanned activity of locking the gimbals on the Ku-Band antenna. They each performed quite well in their EMUs.

Source record↗

Results of Airborne Backscatter Measurements During the Surface Wave Dynamics Experiment

Ocean backscatter data over a wide variety of oceanic and atmospheric conditions were obtained by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory NUSCAT Ku-band scatterometer during the Surface Wave Dynamics Experiment (SWADE). Thirty hours of backscatter data were collected in ten flights by NUSCAT on the NASA Ames C130 aircraft during an intensive observation period (IOP) of SWADE in the winter of 1991. The SWADE experimental area, off the coast of Virginia and Maryland, was deployed with an array of buoys providing appropriate in-situ measurements to correlate with the radar backscatter for incidence angles from 10ø to 60ø at both horizontal and vertical polarizations.

Airborne↗

Design of Dual Frequency Interferometric SAR

Using a spaceborne interferometric SAR, it is possible to produce a high resolution global topographic map with a height accuracy of several meters. However, frequency selection of the interferometric SAR is rather complicated due to interferometric phenomenology and atmospheric effects. In this paper, we propose a dual frequency interferometric SAR to achieve better understanding of interferometric height (especially for penetrable medium) and corresponding calibration and to remove the atmospheric effects. The selected frequencies are L- and Ku-bands. We also present a radar design and show that a light weight and efficient SAR can be designed using new technologies and dual frequency advantages even with two frequency radars in a single spacecraft.

Interferometric↗

Arctic Sea Ice Extent and Melt Onset from NSCAT Observations

Arctic sea ice extent and the timing of melt onset are important parameters in the study of polar processes and climate changes. NSCAT Ku-band active microwave observations of the Arctic sea ice cover are described in this article with emphasis on their potential use for estimating ice extent and detection of spring melt.

Arctic↗

Optimal Estimation of Rain Rate Profiles from Single-Frequency Radar Echoes

It is well-documented (Hitschfeld and Bordan 1954, Meneghini 1978, Haddad et al 1993) that there are significant ambiguites inherent in the determination of a particular vertical rain intensity profile from a given time profile of radar echo powers measured by a downward-looking (spaceborne or airborne) radar at a single attenuating frequency.

stochastic constraints Ku-band Precipitation Radar↗

Imagin Ice Sheet Change Using Scatterometers

Though designed to measure vector ocean winds, new imaging techniques facilitate the use of spaceborne scatterometer data in climate change studies of polar ice sheets.

NASA Ku-band Scatterometer (NSCAT)↗