Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “LIBRATION”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 379 records · Page 21
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Utilization of multi-body trajectories in the Sun-Earth-Moon system

An overview of three uncommon trajectory concepts for space missions in the Sun-Earth-Moon System is presented. One concept uses a special class of libration-point orbits called 'halo orbits.' It is shown that members of this orbit family are advantageous for monitoring the solar wind input to the Earth's magnetosphere, and could also be used to establish a continuous communications link between the Earth and the far side of the Moon. The second concept employs pretzel-like trajectories to explore the Earth's geomagnetic tail. These trajectories are formed by using the Moon to carry out a prescribed sequence of gravity-assist maneuvers. Finally, there is the 'boomerang' trajectory technique for multiple-encounter missions to comets and asteroids. In this plan, Earth-swingby maneuvers are used to retarget the original spacecraft trajectory. The boomerang method could be used to produce a triple-encounter sequence which includes flybys of comets Halley and Tempel-2 as well as the asteroid Geographos.

Farquhar, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The dynamics and control of large flexible space structures. Volume 3, part B: The modelling, dynamics, and stability of large Earth pointing orbiting structures

The dynamics and stability of large orbiting flexible beams, and platforms and dish type structures oriented along the local horizontal are treated both analytically and numerically. It is assumed that such structures could be gravitationally stabilized by attaching a rigid light-weight dumbbell at the center of mass by a spring loaded hinge which also could provide viscous damping. For the beam, the small amplitude inplane pitch motion, dumbbell librational motion, and the anti-symmetric elastic modes are all coupled. The three dimensional equations of motion for a circular flat plate and shallow spherical shell in orbit with a two-degree-of freedom gimballed dumbbell are also developed and show that only those elastic modes described by a single nodal diameter line are influenced by the dumbbell motion. Stability criteria are developed for all the examples and a sensitivity study of the system response characteristics to the key system parameters is carried out.

Bainum, P. M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Improved ephemerides of the Galilean satellites

Over 4800 earth-based observations of Jupiter's Galilean satellites have been analyzed in order to develop improved ephemerides of the satellites for the Voyager mission, using the new theory of motion of the Galilean satellites. Included are over 1700 eclipses of the satellites by Jupiter spanning the interval 1878-1974, 85 mutual events (eclipses and occultations) observed in 1973, and over 2900 exposures on photographic plates from 1967-1978. The resulting ephemerides (labeled E-2) were employed for the Voyager I encounter and are in error by less than 200 km at the time of Jupiter close approach. A very small (0.066 deg) amplitude of the Laplacian free libration is indicated by the data.

Lieske, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Comparison of ISEE-1 and -3 interplanetary magnetic field observations

Three hourly correlation coefficients and the lag at maximum correlation are computed using one minute averages of ISEE-1 and -3 magnetometer data during the period in which ISEE-3 moved from the earth to its halo orbit around the libration point. The maximum correlation coefficients are highly variable ranging from close to zero to almost unity. The lags, while on the average approximating the expected corotation delay, have very large departures from this value. These results suggest that the normals to the planes separating fields of differing orientation often make large angles to the ecliptic plane and/or that the interplanetary magnetic field has a significant amount of bending on a scale length the order of 200 earth radii. Furthermore, there often appears to be a significant amount of propagating structure in the IMF. Thus, ISEE-3 magnetic field measurements should be used with caution if precise timing of arrival at the earth or precise directions of the field upon arrival are important.

Russell, C. T.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Substorm warnings - An ISEE-3 real time data system

The use of solar wind measurements made by ISEE-3 in its halo orbit around the L1 libration point to predict the onsets of magnetospheric substorms and geomagnetic storms is discussed. Consideration is given to the limitations on the predictive ability of the satellite measurements set by the bulk solar wind velocity, the elliptical orbit of the satellite and the correlation lengths of the magnetic field and the solar wind plasma. The ISEE-3 real-time data system is presented, with attention given to the ground receiving stations, the NASCOM communications system, the Multisatellite Operations Control Center and Information Processing Division at the Goddard Space Flight Center, the link between Goddard and the NOAA Space Environmental Services Center, and the NOAA Space Environment Laboratory data acquisition and display data system, which includes displays allowing storm forecasts. It is noted that the entire system should be operational by March, 1980.

Tsurutani, B.↗
NASA NTRS1980

On the dynamics of large orbiting flexible beams and platforms oriented along the local horizontal

The dynamics and stability of large orbiting flexible beams and platforms oriented along the local horizontal are treated both analytically and numerically. It is assumed that such structures could be gravitationally stabilized by attaching a rigid lightweight dumbbell at the center of mass by a spring loaded hinge which also could provide viscous damping. For the beam it is seen that the small amplitude inplane pitch motion, dumbbell librational motion, and the anti-symmetric elastic modes are all coupled. The three dimensional equations of motion for a circular flat plate in orbit with a two-degree-of-freedom gimballed dumbbell are also developed and show that only those elastic modes described by a single nodal diameter line are influenced by the dumbbell motion. Stability criteria are developed for both examples and a parametric study of the least damped mode characteristics together with numerically simulated transient responses are carried out.

Bainum, P. M.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The capture of lunar materials in low lunar orbit

A scenario is presented for the retrieval of lunar materials sent into lunar orbit to be used as raw materials in space manufacturing operations. The proposal is based on the launch of material from the lunar surface by an electromagnetic mass driver and the capture of this material in low lunar orbit by a fleet of mass catchers which ferry the material to processing facilities when full. Material trajectories are analyzed using the two-body equations of motion, and intercept requirements and the sensitivity of the system to launch errors are determined. The present scenario is shown to be superior to scenarios that place a single mass catcher at the L2 libration point due to increased operations flexibility, decreased mass driver performance requirements and centralized catcher servicing.

Floyd, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Observations of the Saturn E ring and a new satellite

It is noted that the faint E ring of Saturn appears as a narrow ring 246,000 + or - 4000 km from the center of Saturn on photographs taken when the ring-plane inclination was 5.4 deg. The apparent brightness of the ring was uniform at all observed orbital longitudes and makes it possible to estimate the normal optical thickness. In addition, a faint satellite (1981S1) was observed near the L4 triangular libration point of Tethys; this satellite is probably the same object as 1980S13.

Larson, S. M.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Pole and prime meridian expressions for Phobos and Deimos

Simple trigonometric expressions are derived for the right ascensions and declinations of the spin axes of Phobos and Deimos as well as for their prime meridians. Simple expressions are possible since both satellites are in synchronous rotation about Mars and since the orbits of both satellites are accurately modeled as precessing ellipses. Spin axis expressions reflect the offset and precession of the orbit pole about the Laplacian pole. Prime meridian expressions include orbital mean motion, long-period solar perturbations, secular acceleration, and short-period, tidally induced forced libration. These simple expressions agree with rigorous expressions to + or - 0.2 deg.

Duxbury, T. C.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Effect of pressure on infrared spectra of ice 7

The effect of pressure on the infrared spectra of H2O and D2O ice VII was studied at room temperature and pressures between 2 and 15 GPa with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and a diamond anvil high pressure cell. Two librational modes, one bending mode, and various overtone bands are well resolved. The stretching modes, nu sub 1 and nu sub 3 are poorly resolved due to overlap with diamond window absorption. Differences between the spectra of H2O and D2O are discussed.

Holzapfel, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Nature of the Kirkwood gaps in the asteroid belt

It is demonstrated that the Kirkwood gaps are not merely regions of low asteroidal number density, but are regions in a-e-sin 1/2 I space where libration of some argument is possible. It is argued that neither the statistical nor the cosmogonic hypothesis of gap formation can account for these new observations. It is shown that the present distribution of asteroidal semimajor axes can be used to deduce the present semimajor axis of Jupiter to an accuracy of one part in five thousand. Thus, there has been very little change in the orbital period of Jupiter since the time of formation of the present gaps. This observation eliminates the possibility that the observed gaps were formed by resonance sweeping at the time of the dispersal of the accretion disk. It is concluded that the gaps have been formed by the gravitational action of Jupiter on individual asteroids and that gap formation has probably continued throughout the lifetime of the solar system.

Dermott, S. F.↗
NASA NTRS1983

A laboratory study of the infrared spectra of interstellar ices

The 3 micron 'ice' band observed in absorption and polarization and other absorption features in interstellar infrared spectra are studied in the laboratory in low temperature (10-130 K) solid mixtures of H2O and other molecules. General empirical rules are derived which relate the shape and relative intensity of the H2O infrared absorptions to thermal history, degree of H2O dilution and hydrogen bonding capacity of the dilutant. Observations of specific features anticipated in low noise medium resolution spectra will yield potentially valuable information on the degree of H2O dilution, the nature of the dilutant and the thermal history of the absorbing solid mixture. Under well defined conditions the peak of the hitherto unobserved librational '12 micron' H2O absorption is shifted to outside the current infrared observation window beyond 13.5 microns.

Hagen, W.↗
NASA NTRS1983

An ISEE 3 high time resolution study of interplanetary parameter correlations with magnetospheric activity

The coupling between the solar wind and the geomagnetic disturbances was examined using data from the ISEE-3 spacecraft at an earth-sun libration point and ground-based data. One minute data were used to avoid aliasing in determining the internal magnetospheric response to solar wind conditions. Attention was given to the cross-correlations between the geomagnetic index (AE), the total energy dissipation rate (UT), and the solar wind parameters, as well as the spatial and temporal scales on which the magnetosphere reacts to the solar wind conditions. It was considered necessary to characterize the physics of the solar wind-magnetosphere coupling in order to define the requirements for a spacecraft like the ISEE-3 that could be used as a real time monitoring system for predicting storms and substorms. The correlations among all but one parameter were lower during disturbance intervals; UT was highly correlated with all parameters during the disturbed times. An intrinsic 25-40 min delay was detected between interplanetary activity and magnetospheric response in quite times, diminishing to no more than 15 min during disturbed times.

Baker, D. N.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Investigation of dynamic noise affecting geodynamics information in a tethered subsatellite

The effects of a tethered satellite system's internal dynamics on the subsatellite were calculated including both overall motions (libration and attitude oscillations) and internal tether oscillations. The SKYHOOK tether simulation program was modified to operate with atmospheric density variations and to output quantities of interest. Techniques and software for analyzing the results were developed including noise spectral analysis. A program was begun for computing a stable configuration of a tether system subject to air drag. These configurations will be of use as initial conditions for SKYHOOK and, through linearized analysis, directly for stability and dynamical studies. A case study in which the subsatellite traverses an atmospheric density enhancement confirmed some theoretical calculations, and pointed out some aspects of the interaction with the tether system dynamics.

Gullahorn, G. E.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Effect of pressure on infrared-spectra of ice VII

The effect of pressure on the infrared spectra of H20 and D20 ice VII was studied at room temperature and at pressures between 2 and 15 GPa with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and a diamond anvil high pressure cell. Two librational modes, one bending mode, and various overtone bands are well resolved. The stretching modes, nu sub 1 and nu sub 3, are poorly resolved due to overlap with diamond window absorption. Differences between the spectra of H20 and D20 are discussed. Previously announced in STAR as N83-23671

Holzapfel, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1983

A collection of Galilean satellite eclipses 1652-1982

Data from visual observations of the eclipses of the Jovian Galilean satellites recorded in two 17th and 18th century manuscripts are analyzed. It is shown that a 'lost' group of more than 6800 eclipse observations known as the Delambre collection is actually contained in two smaller manuscripts, the Pingre book and the Delisle manuscript. The data in the collections are expected to be useful in determining the ephemerides, masses and libration parameters of the Jovian satellites, for the study of questions related to Delta T (Ephemeris Time-Universal Time) as it was recorded in the 17th century, and for the study of the Laplace commensurability.

Lieske, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The chaotic rotation of Hyperion

Under the assumption that the satellite is rotating about a principal axis that is normal to its orbit plane, a plot of spin rate-versus-orientation for Hyperion at the pericenter of its orbit has revealed a large, chaotic zone surrounding Hyperion's synchronous spin-orbit state. The chaotic zone is so large that it surrounds the 1/2 and 2 states, and libration in the 3/2 state is not possible. Rotation in the chaotic zone is also attitude-unstable. As tidal dissipation drives Hyperion's spin toward a nearly synchronous value, Hyperion necessarily enters the large chaotic zone, becoming attitude-unstable and tumbling. It is therefore predicted that Hyperion will be found to be tumbling chaotically.

Wisdom, J.↗