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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 361 records · Page 20
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NASA NTRS1997

Measured Spacecraft Dynamic Effects on Atmospheric Science Instruments

On September 1991, NASA launched the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite. In addition to its atmospheric science mission, spacecraft dynamic effects on science measurements were analyzed. The investigation included two in-flight experiments to determine how each on-board instrument, subsystem and environmental disturbance contributed to the spacecraft dynamic response and how these disturbances affected science measurements. Three case studies are presented which show the impact of spacecraft dynamic response on science measurements. In the first case, correlation of independent atmospheric meridional wind measurements taken by two instruments with the spacecraft dynamic response demonstrated that excessive vibration (exceeding instrument pointing requirements) resulted in wind measurement disagreement. In the second case, solar array disturbances produced a spacecraft response signature on radiometer measurements. The signature explicitly demonstrated that if an instrument has sufficient spatial and temporal resolution, spacecraft dynamic response could impact measurements. In the final case, correlation of an instrument's fine sun sensor data and CO2 measurements demonstrated the effect of temporal and spatial sampling resolution and active pointing control on science measurements. The sun sensor had a frequency modulated characteristic due to spacecraft vibration and the periodic scanning of another instrument which was not present on the CO2 measurements.

Woodard, Stanley E.↗
NASA NTRS1969

Pioneer F/G: Spacecraft/Scientific Instrument Specification

This specification defines for the Pioneer F and G (later Pioneer 10 and 11) spacecraft and scientific instruments: (a) the characteristics of the spacecraft pertinent to the scientific instruments and the requirements of the spacecraft on the scientific instruments; and (b) the characteristics of the scientific instruments pertinent to the spacecraft and the requirements of the scientific instruments on the spacecraft.

Hall, Charlie F.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Environmental Impact Statement for the Cassini Mission

This Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) to the 1995 Cassini mission Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) focuses on information recently made available from updated mission safety analyses. This information is pertinent to the consequence and risk analyses of potential accidents during the launch and cruise phases of the mission that were addressed in the EIS. The type of accidents evaluated are those which could potentially result in a release of plutonium dioxide from the three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGS) and the up to 129 Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUS) onboard the Cassini spacecraft. The RTGs use the heat of decay of plutonium dioxide to generate electric power for the spacecraft and instruments. The RHUs, each of which contains a small amount of plutonium dioxide, provide heat for controlling the thermal environment of the spacecraft and several of its instruments. The planned Cassini mission is an international cooperative effort of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to conduct a 4-year scientific exploration of the planet Saturn, its atmosphere, moons, rings, and magnetosphere.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1967

OGO-D

Design, launching, and polar orbit of OGO-D, and its instrumentation and observational data

OGO↗
NASA NTRS2003

State-of-the-art Instruments for Detecting Extraterrestrial Life

In the coming decades, state-of-the-art spacecraft-based instruments that can detect key components associated with life as we know it on Earth will directly search for extinct or extant extraterrestrial life in our solar system. Advances in our analytical and detection capabilities, especially those based on microscale technologies, will be important in enhancing the abilities of these instruments. Remote sensing investigations of the atmospheres of extrasolar planets could provide evidence of photosynthetic-based life outside our solar system, although less advanced life will remain undetectable by these methods. Finding evidence of extraterrestrial life would have profound consequences both with respect to our understanding of chemical and biological evolution, and whether the biochemistry on Earth is unique in the universe.

Bada, Jeffrey L.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Trends in instrument systems for Deep Space Exploration

Instrument systems for deep space exploration have undergone dramatic changes in the last few years. They are smaller, lighter and less poer hungry. The line between science instruments and spacecraft sensors is blurring.

instruments sensors FIDO surface explorer↗
NASA NTRS1996

Cassini Under Construction to Explore Saturn

The last of the United States' large, many-instrument, interplanetary spacecraft is being built this year at NASA's and Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in La Caada Flintridge. Assembly began late last year on JPL's Cassini Saturn-orbiting spacecraft, which will carry the Huygens probe to study the atmosphere and surface of Saturn's largest moon.

large many-instrument interplanetary spacecraft Sa↗
NASA NTRS1990

Spacecraft external molecular contamination analysis

Control of contamination on and around spacecraft is required to avoid adverse effects on the performance of instruments and spacecraft systems. Recent work in this area is reviewed and discussed. Specific issues and limitations to be considered as part of the effort to predict contamination effects using modeling techniques are addressed. Significant results of Space Shuttle missions in the field of molecule/surface interactions as well as their implications for space station design and operation are reviewed.

Ehlers, H. K. F.↗
NASA NTRS2010

The Geostationary Operational Satellite R Series SpaceWire Based Data System Architecture

The GOES-R program selected SpaceWire as the best solution to satisfy the desire for simple and flexible instrument to spacecraft command and telemetry communications. Data generated by GOES-R instruments is critical for meteorological forecasting, public safety, space weather, and other key applications. In addition, GOES-R instrument data is provided to ground stations on a 24/7 basis. GOES-R requires data errors be detected and corrected from origin to final destination. This paper describes GOES-R developed strategy to satisfy this requirement

Krimchansky, Alexander↗
NASA NTRS2016

Essential SpaceWire Hardware Capabilities for a Robust Network

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R-Series Program (GOES-R) mission is a joint program between National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). GOES-R project selected SpaceWire as the best solution to satisfy the desire for simple and flexible instrument to spacecraft command and telemetry communications. GOES-R development and integration is complete and the observatory is scheduled for launch October 2016. The spacecraft design was required to support redundant SpaceWire links for each instrument side, as well as to route the fewest number of connections through a Slip Ring Assembly necessary to support Solar pointing instruments. The final design utilized two different router designs. The SpaceWire standard alone does not ensure the most practical or reliable network. On GOES-R a few key hardware capabilities were identified that merit serious consideration for future designs. Primarily these capabilities address persistent port stalls and the prevention of receive buffer overflows. Workarounds were necessary to overcome shortcomings that could be avoided in future designs if they utilize the capabilities, discussed in this paper, above and beyond the requirements of the SpaceWire standard.

SpaceWire↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

MUSTANG: A Workhorse for NASA Spaceflight Avionics

The Modular Unified Space Technology Avionics for Next Generation (MUSTANG) is a small integrated Avionics system including Command and Data Handling (C&DH), Power System Electronics (PSE), Attitude Control System Interfaces (ACS), and Propulsion Electronics. The MUSTANG Avionics Architecture is built upon many years of knowledge capture and lessons learned at the Goddard Space Flight Center. With a motivation towards modularity and keeping board redesign costs to a minimum, MUSTANG offers flexibility in features with a backplane-less design and allows the user to choose the options (cards) needed for their system. It incorporates a distributed power system that provides secondary power to all its subcomponents reducing the number of primary services needed for an Avionics. MUSTANG can be integrated into one system or divided into several smaller components. MUSTANG supports redundancy and cross-strap ability for a more robust and reliable Avionics system. A variation of MUSTANG exists for Instrument Electronics called iMUSTANG and allows the user to select functionality applicable to the instrument electronics. MUSTANG is not meant to replace Avionics for all spacecraft. There are limitations due to its relatively compact size, but the MUSTANG design has proven broadly applicable on many spacecraft and instrument bus avionics architectures.

MUSTANG↗
NASA NTRS1978

The Voyager Program

On August 20 and September 5, 1977, Voyager spacecraft were launched on voyages of exploration to the outer planets of our solar system. Each spacecraft will fly close to Jupiter and Saturn, and one of the spacecraft may fly to Uranus. The spacecraft carry eleven scientific instruments, which will yield a wide range of scientific information about Jupiter, Saturn, their satellites, and the environment around these giant planets. This paper describes the Voyager mission, its scientific experiments and instruments, and the spacecraft. Also included is a summary of the events which have occurred thus far in the flight of these spacecraft.

Gates, C. R.↗