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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 451 records · Page 25

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NASA NTRS1982

User needs and the future of operational meteorological satellites

Meteorological satellites and their capabilities are described. Future satellite configurations and instrumentation are discussed in the light of future user needs. In addition to the continuation of existing baseline products and services, the goals for improvement of the geosynchronous system through the 1990's will be: increasing spacial resolution in the visible and infrared channels; increasing vertical mean layer temperature resolution; adding the ability to image the solar disk; and upgrading the ground systems. Other improvements are discussed.

Miller, D. B.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Advanced electronic displays and their potential in future transport aircraft

It is pointed out that electronic displays represent one of the keys to continued integration and improvement of the effectiveness of avionic systems in future transport aircraft. An employment of modern electronic display media and generation has become vital in connection with the increases in modes and functions of modern aircraft. Requirements for electronic systems of future transports are examined, and a description is provided of the tools which are available for cockpit integration, taking into account trends in information processing and presentation, trends in integrated display devices, and trends concerning input/output devices. Developments related to display media, display generation, and I/O devices are considered, giving attention to a comparison of CRT and flat-panel display technology, advanced HUD technology and multifunction controls. Integrated display formats are discussed along with integrated systems and cockpit configurations.

Hatfield, J. J.↗

NASA NTRS1981

NASA's Earth resources program: Future outlook

NASA's research and development strategies for future Earth resources systems are outlined. The development of the multilinear array sensor technology, STEREOSAT, future satellites in the LANDSAT series, the Shuttle Imaging Radar, the Operational Earth Resources System, and Spacelab payloads are addressed.

Piotrowski, W. L.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Technology and future ground processing systems

Land-observing satellites with multiple thematic mappers will produce data at rates of 100 to 300 Mbps. When coupled with a high daily scene production rate, these rates will require new approaches to ground processing. Consideration is given here to future downlink rates and data volumes, and requirements peculiar to the future user community are discussed. The advanced technologies required to attain an operational system in the years 1985-1990 are considered, together with advances foreseen in communications, mass storage, bulk memories, and data processing. Using advanced devices, a centralized data processing system capable of handling the 100 Mbps data rate is described. New approaches, among them a parallel pipelined calibration front-end, real-time browse image production, a high bandwidth optical disk archive, regional image broadcast and massively parallel product production, are considered. A distributed system capable of handling the 300 Mbps data rate is then described. Designs for a hub system and a regional processing center are presented.

Wood, B. J.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Operations simulation for the design of a future space transportation system

A high, level discrete simulation model has been developed to study the operational requirements of future space transportation systems. To illustrate the capabilities of this model, the result of a study for a future fully reusable, two-stage launch vehicle concept which delivers men and material to a space station and returns are presented. Orbital transfer vehicles, based at the space station, are also included for delivery to other orbits. Results are presented which indicate that the model can be a helpful tool in evaluating the transportation system's operational needs and its ability to meet the desired mission requirements.

Morris, W. D.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Results of the automated power systems management /APSM/ program and future technology implementation

The APSM program was initiated in 1975. The purpose of this program was to develop and demonstrate the technology and benefits of autonomous operation of planetary spacecraft power systems to meet the projected requirements of future missions. Development of the APSM program was based on implementing a selected set of autonomous functions in a state-of-the-art breadboard power system. A distributed microcomputer system was developed to implement the functions. Several critical programmatic elements were identified as necessary to implement autonomous functions. These elements, including proper skill combination, well defined autonomous functions, and management of the software design and development task, were found to be more significant than hardware management. The incorporation of APSM technology in future space programs is also discussed.

Bridgeforth, A. O.↗

NASA NTRS1983

The future of the U.S. aviation system

The growth of the aviation system of the U.S. over the last twenty years is described. Long-term and short-term causes of air travel are analyzed, showing the interaction of economic activity, airline yields and quality of service. Future trends in general aviation, aircraft technology, and telecommunications are described. Potential future scenarios for the airline industry are presented.

Ausrotas, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Sensor technology for future atmospheric observation systems

The remote sensing instruments that will be needed for research in atmospheric environmental quality in the future are considered. The needs are determined on the basis of a model that incorporates scientific knowledge objectives, measurement needs, and potential space missions, spacecraft and instruments in order to discern the technology requirements. While emphasis is placed on global surveys that make full use of the synoptic observation capabilities of spaceborne sensors, the importance of airborne and ground-based sensors in this research is also recognized. Several of the instruments that are identified to fulfill the knowledge objectives are spectrometers and radiometers using such passive measurement techniques as interferometer correlation absorption radiometry, and heterodyne spectrometry. Lidar instruments are also seen as important future developments.

Alvarado, U. R.↗

NASA NTRS1984

V/STOL concepts in the United States: Past, present, and future

Nonhelicopter types of V/STOL aircraft developed in the United States are reviewed, and some lessons learned from a selected number of concepts are highlighted. The AV-8B, which was developed by modifications to the British Harrier is the only current concept examined. Configurations proposed for the future subsonic, multimissing aircraft and the future supersonic fighter/attack aircraft are described. Emphasis is on these supersonic concepts.

W P Nelms↗

NASA NTRS1983

Future thrusts in life sciences experimentation in space

Biomedical research objectives for future Shuttle and/or Space Station missions are discussed, with a focus on experiments exploring the physiological effects of microgravity. Experience up to the present is found to indicate that molecular-level processes are not much affected by the space environment, so that future experiments should concentrate on larger-scale phenomena. Areas considered include cardiovascular, respiratory, skeletal, and muscular physiology; metabolism; neurophysiology; and behavior. Radiation effects are seen as well as understood on the basis of ground-based data, with the possible exception of HZE-particle radiation. The need for carefully constructed ground research to prepare for space experiments is stressed.

Dietlein, L. F.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Operational awareness in future space transportation system concepts and technology selections

An analysis of operations for a two-stage, fully reusable future space transportation system has been performed, and the results are discussed. The value of conducting an analysis of operations in the conceptual design phase to produce a highly productive system was demonstrated by obtaining estimated reductions in resources and ground turnaround time and comparing them with estimated mature Shuttle program requirements. Cooperative efforts by users, future vehicle designers, and operations analysts during the conceptual design phase are shown to produce an efficient vehicle design with broad market potential. The synergistic effects of vehicle design configuration, subsystems, and procedures can enhance productivity of the transportation system as measured by flexibility, availability, and viability. Advanced technologies and subsystems beneficial to such a system are identified.

Eide, D. G.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Future interactive data systems

The information and control requirements of the investigator-users of future free-flying, platform-based, or Space Station-based scientific experiments are assessed, and the implications of these requirements for the design of the information systems are discussed. The principal requirements include near-real-time interaction with the payload, distributed or remote payload command and control, rapid access to quick-look data, flexibility of payload command sequences, on-demand uplink-downlink availability, system transparency, and modular design to facilitate replacement of system components. Current developments in systems architecture such as increased use of onboard microprocessors to select and preprocess data and transmit autonomous streams directly to the user, standardization of interfaces, and the NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System are characterized, and block diagrams of present and future systems are provided.

Bracken, P. A.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Future Imaging Sensor Capabilities

Advanced imaging sensor technologies that are being developed for future NASA earth observation missions are discussed. These include the multilinear array, the Shuttle imaging spectrometer, and the Shuttle imaging radar. The principal specifications and functional descriptions of the instruments are presented, and it is shown that the advanced technologies will enable a synergistic approach to the use of VIS/IR and microwave imaging sensors for remote sensing research and applications. The key problems posed by these future imaging sensor technologies are discussed, with particular attention given to data rates, power consumption, and data processing.

Carver, K. R.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Contribution of explosion and future collision fragments to the orbital debris environment

The time evolution of the near-earth man-made orbital debris environment modeled by numerical simulation is presented in this paper. The model starts with a data base of orbital debris objects which are tracked by the NORAD ground radar system. The current untrackable small objects are assumed to result from explosions and are predicted from data collected from a ground explosion experiment. Future collisions between earth orbiting objects are handled by the Monte Carlo method to simulate the range of collision possibilities that may occur in the real world. The collision fragmentation process between debris objects is calculated using an empirical formula derived from a laboratory spacecraft impact experiment to obtain the number versus size distribution of the newly generated debris population. The evolution of the future space debris environment is compared with the natural meteoroid background for the relative spacecraft penetration hazard.

Su, S.-Y.↗

NASA NTRS1984

The trend of future gas turbine technology

Future gas turbine technology will be based on contributions to the technology base being made today. At the NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, OH, research is being conducted on turbomachinery system components and in a number of associated disciplines to advance the technology of aviation turbofan and torbojet engines. Areas of research include compressors, turbines, internal flow analysis, combustion, fuels, materials, structures, bearings, seals, lubrication, dynamics and controls, and instrumentation. A review of the research directions being taken in these areas and the steady advances being made provides a reasonable glimpse at gas turbine technology of the future.

Hartmann, M. J.↗

NASA NTRS1986

The suitability of various spacecraft for future space applications missions

The Space Applications Advisory Committee (SAAC) of NASA's Advisory Council was asked by the Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications to consider the most suitable future means for accomplishing space application missions. To comply with this request, SAAC formed a Task Force whose report is contained in this document. In their considerations, the Task Force looked into the suitability of likely future spacecraft options for supporting various types of application mission payloads. These options encompass a permanent manned space station, the Space Shuttle operating in a sortie mode, unmanned platforms that integrate a wide variety of instruments or other devices, and smaller free fliers that accommodate at most a few functions. The Task Force also recognized that the various elements could be combined to form a larger space infrastructure. This report summarizes the results obtained by the Task Force. It describes the approach utilized, the findings and their analysis, and the conclusions.

Mathews, C. W.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Basic research for future electric propulsion

It is pointed out that the evolution of electric propulsion over the past two and a half decades has been constrained by the interaction of three broad factors, including the physics and dynamics of the propellants, the dynamical and logistical requirements of the mission, and the technological realities of materials, power sources, and thermal management. A projection of the future of electric propulsion requires, therefore, a simultaneous reassessment of all three factors. Aspects of mission specification and power systems are discussed, and basic research needed for future electric propulsion applications is considered. Attention is given to electrostatic propulsion, electrothermal propulsion, electromagnetic propulsion, electrothermal/electromagnetic hybrids, novel concepts, and ancillary concerns.

Jahn, R. G.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Advanced thermal-control systems as applied to future NASA spacecraft

It is pointed out that active thermal control systems can theoretically provide a more isothermal spacecraft at less power and weight than required by conventional passive systems. The present paper is concerned with a study of the advantages, with respect to weight and power savings, which can be achieved by using active thermal control systems in future NASA spacecraft. In the study, a prototype NASA spacecraft, based on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), is considered. In order to represent thermal requirements of future spacecraft, the UARS requirements were modified for the prototype, which was called AEOS (advanced earth-orbiting spacecraft). Five types of active thermal-control systems were considered. The results which can be obtained with the different thermal-control systems are compared.

Bravo, C. L.↗