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Recommendations based on need, cost, and achievement of flight safety are offered, and the re-evaluation of weather parameters needed for safe landing operations that lead to reliable and consistent automated observation capabilities are considered.
A stated objective for this symposium is to identify requirements for global wind measurements. This paper will draw from recent reports which considered the impact of over 100 environmental factors known to affect military operations. A conclusion that can be drawn from those analyses is that one environmental factor, atmospheric wind, has an operational impact on each of the 48 mission areas examined. This paper will characterize the impact of wind on the various mission areas and will define and summarize both 'technical' and 'operational' requirements for wind intelligence.
Both the NASA Glenn Research Center and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) have worked to develop oxide ceramic films grown on 60 nitinol (60-wt% nickel and 40-wt% titanium) to decrease friction and increase wear resistance under unlubricated conditions. In general, oxide and nonoxide ceramic films have unique capabilities as mechanical-, chemical-, and thermal-barrier materials in diverse applications, including high-temperature bearings and gas bearings requiring low friction, wear resistance, and chemical stability. All oxide ceramic films grown on 60 nitinol were furnished by ARDEC, and materials and surface characterization and tribological experiments were conducted at Glenn.
The RAZOR EX (Registered Trademark) PCR unit was initially developed by the DoD as part of an SBIR project to detect and identify biothreats during field deployment. The system was evaluated by NASA as a commercial technology for future microbial monitoring requirements and has been successfully demonstrated in microgravity on-board the International Space Station.
There has been growing demand for the use of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) domestically and globally. The versatility of vehicles to support many use cases and business models with broad advances in technology has created an industry with clear growth and continued growth potential. However, an early barrier to operations at scale has been the lack of a coordinated airspace management approach. To address that barrier, NASA pioneered a revolutionary airspace management paradigm that incorporated a federated, service-based approach to enable fair, safe, and scalable operations of small UAS in the nation’s airspace. This paradigm came to be known as UAS Traffic Management (UTM) [1]. During the UTM Project, NASA worked closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Industry to develop a system and supporting concept that incorporated the needs and perspectives of Industry and balanced them with the regulatory and operational needs of the FAA. Through development and rigorous testing, NASA evolved and strengthened the UTM concept and associated system architecture hand-in-hand with partners and stakeholders, which has gone on to take hold globally and move forward toward dedicated implementation in the US through rulemaking and standards bodies.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), and other organizations maintain operational nuclear explosion and atmospheric dispersion models to provide critical guidance on the expected effects of an accidental or deliberate explosion of a nuclear weapon (in this paper simply referred to as “device”). To be effective, these models must represent, as accurately as possible, the complex interactions of the blast, fire, and residual radiological hazards with the environment and population. One hundred atmospheric nuclear tests that form the basis for many models were conducted at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) (now referred to as the Nevada Nuclear Security Site, NNSS) in a dry desert environment. Other environments should be studied, but have less data available and are beyond the scope of the work presented in this paper. The debris clouds produced by the NTS tests, frequently called “mushroom clouds,” are familiar, with common structural elements such as a buoyant cap connected to a skirt of raised dust at the desert surface by a thin, dirt-filled stem. The film scanning project at LLNL has investigated historical film records of nuclear weapons tests. Here, we summarize findings showing that the mushroom cloud behavior for historic U.S. tests conducted in Nevada, has similar characteristics based on the distance of the device from the ground surface or Height of Burst (HOB), scaled by the energy release, or yield, of the device. This scaled height is referred to as the scaled-height-of-burst (SHOB). The findings discussed below show that mushroom clouds look and behave similarly when detonated at the same SHOB. The amount of residual radiation that is produced by a nuclear detonation is proportional to the yield. But, the amount of that residual radiation that actually becomes local fallout is strongly dependent on the SHOB and the type of surface over which the detonation occurs. In order to develop a more comprehensive model that predicts the fraction of the residual radiation that becomes local fallout, it is convenient to define a series of regimes based on SHOB values in which all detonations that occur within a given regime can be modeled using the same algorithms. The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for defining different regimes, and, in a qualitative way, a basic understanding of the fundamental characteristics of each of these regimes.
Programs offered by nasa, aec, defense department, armed services, research and technological institutes and industry to students desiring a career in astronautics and rocketry
Gemini agreement between nasa and defense department
Anticipated major advances in integrated circuit technology in the near future are described as well as their impact on satellite onboard signal processing systems. Dramatic improvements in chip density, speed, power consumption, and system reliability are expected from very large scale integration. Improvements are expected from very large scale integration enable more intelligence to be placed on remote sensing platforms in space, meeting the goals of NASA's information adaptive system concept, a major component of the NASA End-to-End Data System program. A forecast of VLSI technological advances is presented, including a description of the Defense Department's very high speed integrated circuit program, a seven-year research and development effort.
It was recognized that precision pointing provided by the Orbiter's attitude control system would not be good enough for Shuttle payload scientific experiments or certain Defense department payloads. The Annular Suspension Pointing System (ASPS) is being developed to satisfy these more exacting pointing requirements. The ASPS is a modular pointing system which consists of two principal parts, including an ASPS Gimbal System (AGS) which provides three conventional ball-bearing gimbals and an ASPS Vernier System (AVS) which magnetically isolates the payload. AGS performance requirements are discussed and an AGS system description is given. The overall AGS system consists of the mechanical hardware, sensors, electronics, and software. Attention is also given to system simulation and performance prediction, and support facilities.
A chronology of events concerning astronautics and aeronautics for the year 1976 is presented. Some of the many and varied topics include the aerospace industry, planetary exploration, space transportation system, defense department programs, politics, and aerospace medicine. The entries are organized by the month and presented in a news release format.
An overview of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center (LeRC) SP-100 free-piston Stirling engine activities is presented. These activities are being conducted in support of the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), and NASA. The space-power technology effort, under SP-100, addresses the status of the 25 kWe Space Power Demonstrator Engine (SPDE). Another facet of the SP-100 project covers the status of an endurance test. Dynamic balancing of the SPDE engine is discussed along with a summary covering the parametric results of a study showing the relationship between power-converter specific weight and efficiency both as a function of Stirling engine heater to cooler temperature ratio. Design parameters and conceptual design features are presented for a 25 kWe, single-cylinder free-piston Stirling space-power converter. And finally, a description of a hydrodynamic gas bearing concept is presented.
An overview of the NASA Lewis Research Center SP-100 free-piston Stirling engine activities is presented. These activities include a free-piston Stirling space-power technology feasibility demonstration project as part of the SP-100 program being conducted in support of the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), and NASA. The space-power Stirling advanced technology effort, under SP-100, addresses the status of the 25 kWe Space Power Demonstrator Engine (SPDE) including test results. Future space-power projections are presented along with a description of a study that will investigate the feasibility of scaling a single-cylinder free-piston Stirling space-power module to the 150 kW power range. Design parameters and conceptual design features will be presented for a 25 kWe, single-cylinder free-piston Stirling space-power converter. A description of a hydrodynamic gas bearing concept is presented whereby the displacer of a 1 kWe free-piston Stirling engine is modified to demonstrate the bearing concept. And finally the goals of a conceptual design for a 25 kWe Solar Advanced Stirling Conversion System capable of delivering electric power to an electric utility grid are discussed.
The Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) is a two-stage booster used by NASA and the Defense Department to insert payloads into geosynchronous orbit from low-Earth orbit. The hydraulic mechanism discussed here was designed to perform a specific dynamic and static interface function within the Space Transportation System's Orbiter. Requirements, configuration, and application of the hydraulic mechanism with emphasis on performance and methods of achieving zero external hydraulic leakage are discussed. The hydraulic load-leveler mechanism meets the established design requirements for operation in a low-Earth orbit. Considerable testing was conducted to demonstrate system performance and verification that external leakage had been reduced to zero. Following each flight use of an ASE, all hydraulic mechanism components are carefully inspected for leakage. The ASE, including the hydraulic mechanism, has performed without any anomalies during all IUS flights.
An overview of the NASA Lewis Research Center's free-piston Stirling engine research is presented, including efforts to improve and advance its design for use in specific space power applications. These efforts are a part of the SP-100 program being conducted to support the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE) and NASA. Such efforts include: (1) the testing and improvement of 25 kWe Stirling Space Power Demonstrator Engine (SPDE); (2) the preliminary design of 25 kWe single-cylinder Experimental stirling Space Engine (ESSE); and, (3) a study to determine the feasibility of scaling a single-cylinder free-piston Stirling engine/linear alternator to 150 kWe. Other NASA Lewis free-piston Stirling engine activities will be described, directed toward the advancement of general free-piston Stirling engine technology and its application in specific terrestrial applications. One such effort, supported by DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory (DRNL), is the development of a free-piston Stirling engine which produces hydraulic power. Finally, a terrestrial solar application involving a conceptual design of a 25 kWe Solar Advanced Stirling Conversion System (ASCS) capable of delivering power to an electric utility grid will be discussed. The latter work is supported by DOE/Sandia National Laboratory (SNLA).
The Carbon Dioxide Observational Platform System (CO-OPS) is a near-space, geostationary, multi-user, unmanned microwave powered monitoring platform system. This systems engineering feasibility study addressed identified existing requirements such as: carbon dioxide observational data requirements, communications requirements, and eye-in-the-sky requirements of other groups like the Defense Department, the Forestry Service, and the Coast Guard. In addition, potential applications in: earth system science, space system sciences, and test and verification (satellite sensors and data management techniques) were considered. The eleven month effort is summarized. Past work and methods of gathering the required observational data were assessed and rough-order-of magnitude cost estimates have shown the CO-OPS system to be most cost effective (less than $30 million within a 10 year lifetime). It was also concluded that there are no technical, schedule, or obstacles that would prevent achieving the objectives of the total 5-year CO-OPS program.
The purpose of this paper is to familiarize the Space Commercialization Community with the status and characteristics of the SP-100 space nuclear power system. The program is a joint undertaking by the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy and NASA. The goal of the program is to develop, validate, and demonstrate the technology for space nuclear power systems in the range of 10 to 1000 kWe electric for use in the future civilian and military space missions. Also discussed are mission applications which are enhanced and/or enabled by SP-100 technology and how this technology compares to that of more familiar solar power systems. The mission applications include earth orbiting platforms and lunar/Mars surface power.
Traditionally, aircraft lightning strikes were a major aviation safety issue. However, the increasing use of composite materials and the use of digital avionics for flight critical systems will require that more specific lightning protection measures be incorporated in the design of such aircraft in order to maintain the excellent lightning safety record presently enjoyed by transport aircraft. In addition, several recent lightning mishaps, most notably the loss of the Atlas/Centaur-67 vehicle at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida in March 1987, have shown the susceptibility of aircraft and launch vehicles to the phenomenon of vehicle-triggered lightning. The recent findings of the NASA Storm Hazards Program were reviewed as they pertain to the atmospheric conditions conducive to aircraft lightning strikes. These data are then compared to recent summaries of lightning strikes to operational aircraft fleets. Finally, the new launch commit criteria for triggered lightning being used by NASA and the U.S. Defense Department are summarized. The NASA Research data show that the greatest probability of a direct strike in a thunderstorm occurs at ambient temperatures of about -40 C. Relative precipitation and turbulence levels were characterized as negligible to light for these conditions. However, operational fleet data have shown that most aircraft lightning strikes in routine operations occur at temperatures near the freezing level in non-cumulonimbus clouds. The non-thunderstorm environment was not the subject of dedicated airborne lightning research.