Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Synchronous satellite”

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 469 records · Page 26
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1979

UHF coplanar-slot antenna for aircraft-to-satellite data communications

A lightweight low drag coplanar slot antenna was developed for use on commercial jet aircraft that will provide upper hemisphere coverage in the UHF band at frequencies of 402 and 468 MHz is described. The antenna is designed to transmit meteorological data from wide body jet aircraft to ground users via synchronous meteorological data relay satellites. The low profile antenna (23.5 cm wide by 38.1 cm long slot by 1.9 cm high) is a conformal antenna utilizing the coplanar approach with the advantages of broad frequency bandwidth and improved electrical integrity over wide range of temperature. The antenna is circular polarized, has anon axis gain of near +2.5 dB, and a HPBW greater than 90 deg. Areas discussed include antenna design, radiation characteristics, flight testing, and system performance.

Myhre, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Minimizing selective availability error on Topex GPS measurements

GPS measurements made at Topex/Poseidon and the accompanying ground tracking sites will be affected by the selective availability. Although in principle the effects may be removed by differencing between receivers observing the same GPS satellites, this requires accurate synchronization of all receiver clocks. In the case of Topex/Poseidon application, there are two sources of imperfect clock synchronization. The first and larger is due to the constantly drifting clock onboard Topex, which may cause a residual effect as large as 10 cm on Topex carrier phase and 1 m on Topex pseudorange. The second is due to light-time differences between receivers observing the same GPS satellites, which may amount to a few mm error. In this paper a data reduction scheme which incorporates a low-order polynomial interpolation and carrier phase smoothing on pseudorange acquired at Topex and ground receivers is described; a simulation analysis is given demonstrating the effectiveness of the scheme for reducing the GPS S/A effects; and comparison with other schemes is discussed.

Wu, S. C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

SARSAT: A rescue system for ships and airplanes

The SARSAT rescue system is described and alternative systems discussed, with SARSAT functioning as either independent satellite within an emergency call system or as an additional search and rescue payload of another satellite system. Geostationary and polar orbits are compared. A low cost SARSAT rescue system utilizing four satellites in a quasi solar, sun synchronized orbit at 1000 kilometers is proposed. Three multiple start satellites in a 57 degree orbit, with a fourth satellite in reserve at a lower orbit are described. Alternative transport systems are discussed and a recommended time table from project approval to launch is given.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1976

User data dissemination concepts for earth resources: Executive summary

The impact of the future capabilities of earth-resources data sensors (both satellite and airborne) and their requirements on the data dissemination network were investigated and optimum ways of configuring this network were determined. The scope of this study was limited to the continental U.S.A. (including Alaska) and to the 1985-1995 time period. Some of the conclusions and recommendations reached were: (1) Data from satellites in sun-synchronous polar orbits (700-920 km) will generate most of the earth-resources data in the specified time period. (2) Data from aircraft and shuttle sorties cannot be readily integrated in a data-dissemination network unless already preprocessed in a digitized form to a standard geometric coordinate system. (3) Data transmission between readout stations and central preprocessing facilities, and between processing facilities and user facilities are most economically performed by domestic communication satellites. (4) The effect of the following factors should be studied: cloud cover, expanded coverage, pricing strategies, multidiscipline missions.

Davies, R.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Validation of Improved Broadband Shortwave and Longwave Fluxes Derived From GOES

Broadband (BB) shortwave (SW) and longwave (LW) fluxes at TOA (Top of Atmosphere) are crucial parameters in the study of climate and can be monitored over large portions of the Earth's surface using satellites. The VISST (Visible Infrared Solar Split-Window Technique) satellite retrieval algorithm facilitates derivation of these parameters from the Geostationery Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). However, only narrowband (NB) fluxes are available from GOES, so this derivation requires use of narrowband-to-broadband (NB-BB) conversion coefficients. The accuracy of these coefficients affects the validity of the derived broadband (BB) fluxes. Most recently, NB-BB fits were re-derived using the NB fluxes from VISST/GOES data with BB fluxes observed by the CERES (Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy Budget) instrument aboard Terra, a sun-synchronous polar-orbiting satellite that crosses the equator at 10:30 LT. Subsequent comparison with ARM's (Atmospheric Radiation Measurement) BBHRP (Broadband Heating Rate Profile) BB fluxes revealed that while the derived broadband fluxes agreed well with CERES near the Terra overpass times, the accuracy of both LW and SW fluxes decreased farther away from the overpass times. Terra's orbit hampers the ability of the NB-BB fits to capture diurnal variability. To account for this in the LW, seasonal NB-BB fits are derived separately for day and night. Information from hourly SW BB fluxes from the Meteosat-8 Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget (GERB) is employed to include samples over the complete solar zenith angle (SZA) range sampled by Terra. The BB fluxes derived from these improved NB-BB fits are compared to BB fluxes computed with a radiative transfer model.

Khaiyer, Mandana M.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Satellite cloud climatology of summertime cumulus research areas

Defense Meteorological Satellite Program data available for the summer of 1974 was used to construct a cloud climatology of areas where weather modification experiments are currently being conducted or planned; the three High Plains Experiment sites at Colby, Kansas, Big Springs, Texas, and Miles City, Montana; South Park, Colorado, where the South Park Area Cumulus Experiment is being conducted; and the National Hail Research Experiment area in northeastern Colorado. Digital data tapes were produced from the transparencies, obtained from the sun-synchronous polar-orbiting satellite passing over the study areas at about 1200 local time, and a computer analysis was carried out, producing areas and numbers of clouds for each area and day as well as providing data for cumulative averages over selected time periods for each study area.

Stodt, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1992

On the use of satellites in Molniya orbit for meteorological and oceanographic observations of the high latitudes

Two types of orbits are currently used for meteorological satellites: geostationary orbit and low earth orbit. Neither orbit serves the high latitudes well. The Soviet Molniya satellites fly in a highly elliptic orbit inclined 63.4 deg to the equator. For approximately 8 h of its 12-h orbit, a satellite in Molniya orbit is synchronized with the earth such that it is nearly geostationary in the high latitudes. A meteorological/oceanographic satellite in Molniya orbit would bring nearly the same frequent imaging capability to the high latitudes which the tropics and mid-latitudes now enjoy. The uses of such a satellite include Arctic forecasting, study of polar lows, high latitude precipitation estimation, Antarctic studies, sea ice monitoring, and ozone measurements.

Kidder, Stanley Q.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Global Warming: Evidence from Satellite Observations

Observations made in Channel 2 (53.74 GHz) of the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) radiometer, flown on-board sequential, sun-synchronous, polar orbiting NOAA operational satellites, indicate that the mean temperature of the atmosphere over the globe increased during the period 1980 to 1999. In this study we have minimized systematic errors in the time series introduced by the satellite orbital drift in an objective manner. This is done with the help the onboard warm black body temperature, which is used in the calibration of the MSU radiometer. The corrected MSU Channel 2 observations of the NOAA satellite series reveal that the vertically weighted global mean temperature of the atmosphere, with a peak weight near the mid-troposphere, warmed at the rate of 0.13 K per decade (with an uncertainty of 0.05 K per decade) during 1980 to 1999. The global warming deduced from conventional meteorological data that have been corrected for urbanization effects agrees reasonably with this satellite deuced result.

Prabhakara, C.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Space Satellite Dynamics with Applications to Sunlight Pressure Attitude Control

A research program into three aspects of space satellite dynamics was carried out. First, a four-dimensional space-time formulation of Newtonian mechanics is developed. This theory allows a new physical interpretation of the conservation theorems of mechanics first derived rigorously by Noether. Second, a new concept for estimating the three angles which specify the orientation in space of a rigid body is presented. Two separate methods for implementing this concept are discussed, one based on direction cosines, the other on quaternions. Two examples are discussed: constant orientation in space, and constant rate of change of the three angles with time. Third, two synchronous equatorial orbit communication satellite designs which use sunlight pressure to control their attitude are analyzed. Each design is equipped with large reflecting surfaces, called solar sails, which can be canted in different directions to generate torques to correct pointing errors.

Stuck, B. W.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Mariner 9 television observations of Phobos and Deimos 2

The analysis of the Mariner 9 pictures of Phobos and Deimos includes corrections to the orbits of the satellites, an estimate of their principal axes, additional confirmation of their synchronous rotation, a search for new satellites, photometric evidence for the presence of a regolith, and a discussion of their internal structure.

Pollack, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Analyses of earth radiation budget data from unrestricted broadband radiometers on the ESSA 7 satellite

Six months of data from the wide-field-of-view low resolution infrared radiometers on the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) 7 satellite were analyzed. Earth emitted and earth reflected irradiances were computed at satellite altitude using data from a new in-flight calibration technique. Flux densitites and albedos were computed for the top of the earth's atmosphere. Monthly averages of these quantities over 100 latitude zones, each hemisphere, and the globe are presented for each month analyzed, and global distributions are presented for typical months. Emitted flux densities are generally lower and albedos higher than those of previous studies. This may be due, in part, to the fact that the ESSA 7 satellite was in a 3 p.m. Sun-synchronous orbit and some of the comparison data were obtained from satellites in 12 noon sun-synchronous orbits. The ESSA 7 detectors seem to smooth out spatial flux density variations more than scanning radiometers or wide-field-of-view fixed-plate detectors. Significant longitudinal and latitudinal variations of emitted flux density and albedo were identified in the tropics in a zone extending about + or - 25 deg in latitude.

Weaver, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Overview of the Landsat-7 Mission

Landsat-7 is scheduled for launch on April 15 from the Western Test Range at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on a Delta-H expendable launch vehicle. The Landsat 7 satellite consists of a spacecraft bus being provided by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space (Valley Forge, Pa.) and the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus instrument built by Raytheon (formerly Hughes) Santa Barbara Remote Sensing (Santa Barbara, Calif.). The instrument on board Landsat 7 is the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+). ETM+ improves upon the previous Thematic Mapper (TM) instruments on Landsat's 4 and 5 (Fig. la and lb). It includes the previous 7 spectral bands measuring reflected solar radiation and emitted thermal emissions but, in addition, includes a new 15 in panchromatic (visible-near infrared) band. The spatial resolution of the thermal infrared band has also been improved to 60 m. Both the radiometric precision and accuracy of the sensor are also improved from the previous TM sensors. After being launched into a sun-synchronous polar orbit, the satellite will use on-board propulsion to adjust its orbit to a circular altitude of 438 miles (705 kilometers) crossing the equator at approximately 10 a.m. on its southward track. This orbit will place Landsat 7 along the same ground track as previous Landsat satellites. The orbit will be maintained with periodic adjustments for the life of the mission. A three-axis attitude control subsystem will stabilize the satellite and keep the instrument pointed toward the Earth to within 0.05 degrees. Later this year, plans call for the NASA Earth Observation System (EOS) Terra (AM-1) observatory and the experimental EO-1 mission to closely follow Landsat-7's orbit to support synergistic research and applications from this new suite of terrestrial sensor systems. Landsat is the United States' oldest land-surface observation satellite system, with satellites continuously operating since 1972. Although the program has scored numerous successes in scientific and resource-management applications, Landsat has had a tumultuous history of management and funding changes over its nearly 27-year history. Landsat-7 marks a new direction in the program to reduce the cost of data and increase systematic global coverage for use in global change research as well as commercial and regional applications. With the passage of the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act in 1992, oversight of the Landsat program began to shift from the commercial sector to the federal government. NASA integrated Landsat-7 into its EOS science program in 1994. Landsat-7 is managed and operated jointly by NASA and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). As a result, the costs of acquiring observations from

Williams, Darrel↗
NASA NTRS1970

Multipath signal model development

The development and use of mathematical models of signals received through the multipath environmental of a TDRS-to-user spacecraft link and vice versa are discussed. The TDRS (tracking and data relay satellite) will be in synchronous orbit. The user spacecraft will be in a low altitude orbit between 200 and 4000 km.

Ghais, A. F.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Radiation environment for ATS-F

The ambient trapped particle fluxes incident on the ATS-F satellite were determined. Several synchronous circular flight paths were evaluated and the effect of parking longitude on vehicle encountered intensities was investigated. Temporal variations in the electron environment were considered and partially accounted for. Magnetic field calculations were performed with a current field model extrapolated to a later epoch with linear time terms. Orbital flux integrations were performed with the latest proton and electron environment models using new improved computational methods. The results are presented in graphical and tabular form; they are analyzed, explained, and discussed. Estimates of energetic solar proton fluxes are given for a one year mission at selected integral energies ranging from 10 to 100 Mev, calculated for a year of maximum solar activity during the next solar cycle.

Stassinopoulos, E. G.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Orbiting chains and rings

Two very different, highly flexible, space structures proposed during the last decade which involve analytical solution of certain partial differential equations are discussed. The first structure is an array, or hanging chain of aluminum beads which would serve as a convenient communicator if, under the influence of the Earth's gravity gradient, it assumes a local vertical orientation as it circles the Earth. Two passive schemes have been proposed for damping the rigid modes: twist the wire at the ends to provide non-zero moment of inertia about the vertical, thereby inducing relative motion of the two tips during rigid pitch or roll, and thus exercising a damper; and introduce weak lossy springs between the end sections and the main section; thereby providing linear coupling between the springs and all the in-plane (pitch) modes. The second structure is a complete ring of satellites cabled together at synchronous altitude. By a slight increase in altitude, the cable is in tension. This configuration is, however, unstable, and an active feedback control scheme is required to stabilize it. A possible scheme involves local cable length adjustment based on measurement of local altitude and shape variations and their rates.

Breakwell, J. V.↗