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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 487 records · Page 27
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1977

The design and reconstruction of the Viking Lander descent trajectories

The success of the Viking Mission is truly a major milestone in this country's planetary exploration program. This paper deals with the trajectory characteristics of the Viking Lander descent trajectories, beginning with the imposed requirements and constraints, the final preflight design based on the final hardware and operational capability, and ending with the actual performance achieved. A comparison between the predicted and actual trajectory characteristics is made to indicate the achieved accuracy and modeling fidelity. Also, estimates of the Martian environment derived from the entry-trajectory reconstruction process are presented.

Euler, E. A.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Pyrolysis of organic compounds in the presence of ammonia The Viking Mars lander site alteration experiment

The influence of ammonia on the pyrolysis pattern of selected organic substances sorbed on an inorganic phase was investigated. The thermal degradation products were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The feasibility of this technique was tested on a meteoritic sample. All substances examined react with ammonia at the pyrolysis temperature of 500 C, the major products being nitriles and heterocyclic compounds in which nitrogen was incorporated. Based on these results, a model for the non-equilibrium production of organic compounds on Jupiter is discussed. The investigation was performed in connection with the Viking lander molecular analysis. The results obtained indicate that the concentrations of ammonia in the retrorocket fuel exhaust would have been probably too small to produce significant changes in the Martian soil organic compounds if any were found.

Holzer, G.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Diurnal variations of the Martian surface layer meteorological parameters during the first 45 sols at two Viking Lander sites

Wind speed, ambient and surface temperatures from both Viking Landers have been used to compute bulk Richardson numbers and Monin-Obukhov lengths during the earliest phase of the Mars missions. These parameters are used to estimate drag and heat transfer coefficients, friction velocities and surface heat fluxes at the two sites. The principal uncertainty is in the specification of the roughness length. Maximum heat fluxes occur near local noon at both sites, and are estimated to be in the range 15-20 W/sq m at the Viking 1 site and 10-15 W/sq m at the Viking 2 site. Maximum values of friction velocity occur in late morning at Viking 1 and are estimated to be 0.4-0.6 m/s. They occur shortly after dawn at the Viking 2 site where peak values are estimated to be in the range 0.25-0.35 m/s. Extension of these calculations to later times during the mission will require allowance for dust opacity effects in the estimation of surface temperature and in the correction of radiation errors of the Viking 2 temperature sensor.

Sutton, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Martian soil stratigraphy and rock coatings observed in color-enhanced Viking Lander images

Subtle color variations of martian surface materials were enhanced in eight Viking Lander (VL) color images. Well-defined soil units recognized at each site (six at VL-1 and four at VL-2), are identified on the basis of color, texture, morphology, and contact relations. The soil units at the Viking 2 site form a well-defined stratigraphic sequence, whereas the sequence at the Viking 1 site is only partially defined. The same relative soil colors occur at the two sites, suggesting that similar soil units are widespread on Mars. Several types of rock surface materials can be recognized at the two sites; dark, relatively 'blue' rock surfaces are probably minimally weathered igneous rock, whereas bright rock surfaces, with a green/(blue + red) ratio higher than that of any other surface material, are interpreted as a weathering product formed in situ on the rock. These rock surface types are common at both sites. Soil adhering to rocks is common at VL-2, but rare at VL-1. The mechanism that produces the weathering coating on rocks probably operates planet-wide.

Strickland, E. L., III↗
NASA NTRS1979

Sample fields of the Viking landers, physical properties, and aeolian processes

Surface sampler activities on Mars during the Viking extended mission are considered, including excavation of deep trenches, construction of conical piles of materials, backhoe touchdown experiments, and acquisition of contiguous pictures of the surface beneath number 2 terminal descent engines using mirrors. Results of the Physical Properties Investigation that are relevant to aeolian processes are also discussed. Both pictures and surface sampler data indicate that the surface materials in the sample fields of the Viking landers may be grouped, in order of increasing strength, into drift material, crusty to cloddy material, blocky material and rocks.

Moore, H. J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The annual cycle of pressure on Mars measured by Viking landers 1 and 2

Daily mean atmospheric pressures at the two Viking landers are presented for slightly more than a Martian year. The seasonal variation of pressure owing to exchange of CO2 with the polar caps is quite evident and contradicts, in part, earlier theoretical results. Day-to-day variations are the result of passage of synoptic-scale high and low pressure systems and are an important clue to the general circulation of the atmosphere. The effects of global dust storms on the general circulation and on the diurnal variation of pressure are detected and interpreted.

Hess, S. L.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Determination of the hypersonic-continuum/rarefied-flow drag coefficient of the Viking lander capsule 1 aeroshell from flight data

Results of an investigation to determine the full scale drag coefficient in the high speed, low density regime of the Viking lander capsule 1 entry vehicle are presented. The principal flight data used in the study were from onboard pressure, mass spectrometer, and accelerometer instrumentation. The hypersonic continuum flow drag coefficient was unambiguously obtained from pressure and accelerometer data; the free molecule flow drag coefficient was indirectly estimated from accelerometer and mass spectrometer data; the slip flow drag coefficient variation was obtained from an appropriate scaling of existing experimental sphere data. Comparison of the flight derived drag hypersonic continuum flow regime except for Reynolds numbers from 1000 to 100,000, for which an unaccountable difference between flight and ground test data of about 8% existed. The flight derived drag coefficients in the free molecule flow regime were considerably larger than those previously calculated with classical theory. The general character of the previously determined temperature profile was not changed appreciably by the results of this investigation; however, a slightly more symmetrical temperature variation at the highest altitudes was obtained.

Blanchard, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Viking lander five year summary

The battery assemblies in the Viking lander are discussed. Discharge and recharge schemes are described. Performance charts for the batteries are included.

Britting, A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Update: Viking Lander NiCd batteries. Year six

The performance of NiCd batteries on the Viking Mars landers is discussed. During evaluation, three of the four batteries were maintained in the discharged state. Battery charge regimes and close-together, deep-discharge, reconditioning cycles to retard degradation of batteries are discussed. The effect of elevated temperatures during Martian summer on battery performance were also considered. Tabulated data for average battery capacity as a function of time are given. A design uplink to allow more frequent, greater depth of discharge reconditioning cycles was proposed.

Britting, A. O., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Martian dust storms witnessed by Viking Lander 1

Viking Lander 1 observations on Mars were punctuated by a strong local dust storm after two martian years of mild wind conditions. Tens of micrometers of dust settled to the surface during global dust storms of the first two falls and winters; some of this dust was locally removed during the second year. A late winter local dust storm of the first year caused little or no erosion of the surface materials despite wind speeds of 25 to 30 m/s. The strong local dust storm occurred during late winter of the third martian year. Winds of this storm altered and demolished small conical piles of surface materials constructed at the onset the first winter, removed 4 to 5 mm size fragments, displaced centimeter size fragments, destroyed clouds in areas disrupted by the sampler and footpad, eroded impact pits, and darkened the sky. Movement of erosional products and tiny wind tails indicate easterly to northeasterly winds. If the 4 to 5 mm size fragments were entrained and removd by the wind, threshold friction speeds near 3 to 5 m/s would have been required for the atmospheric temperatures and pressures that prevailed during the late winter of the third year.

Moore, H. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Three Mars years - Viking Lander 1 imaging observations

The Mutch Memorial Station (Viking Lander 1) on Mars acquired imaging and meteorological data over a period of 2245 martian days (3.3 martian years). This article discusses the deposition and erosion of thin deposits (ten to hundreds of micrometers) of bright red dust associated with global dust storms, and the removal of centimeter amounts of material in selected areas during a dust storm late in the third winter. Atmospheric pressure data acquired during the period of intense erosion imply that baroclinic disturbances and strong diurnal solar tidal heating combined to produce strong winds. Erosion occurred principally in areas where soil cohesion was reduced by earlier surface sampler activities. Except for redistribution of thin layers of materials, the surface appears to be remarkably stable, perhaps because of cohension of the undisturbed surface material.

Arvidson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Experimental test of the variability of G using Viking lander ranging data

Results are presented from the analysis of solar-system astrometric data, notably the range data to the Viking landers on Mars. A least-squares fit of the parameters of the solar system model to these data limits a simple time variation in the effective Newtonian gravitational constant to (2 + or - 4) x 10 to the -12th/yr and a rate of drift of atomic clocks relative to the implicit clock of relativistic dynamics to (1 + or - 8) x 10 to the -12th/yr. The error limits quoted are the result of uncertainties in the masses of the asteroids.

Hellings, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Analysis of the Viking Lander 1 surface wind vector for sols 45 to 375

The Viking Lander 1 wind sensor data during the period between sols 45 and 375 were corrected. During this period, the heating element of the quadrant sensor which provided the primary signal used for determining wind direction had failed, but both hot film wind sensors were functioning normally. The wind speed and direction corrections are explained.

Leovy, C. B.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Conclusion of Viking Lander Imaging Investigation: Picture catalog of experiment data record

The images returned by the two Viking landers during the Viking Survey Mission are presented in this report. Listing of supplemental information which describe the conditions under which the images were acquired are included. Subsets of the images are listed in a variety of sequences to aid in locating images of interest. The format and organization of the digital magnetic tape storage of the images are described. A brief description of the mission and the camera system is also included.

Wall, S. D.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Chemical analysis of aerosol in the Venusian cloud layer by reaction gas chromatography on board the Vega landers

The experiment on sulfuric acid aerosol determination in the Venusian cloud layer on board the Vega landers is described. An average content of sulfuric acid of approximately 1 mg/cu m was found for the samples taken from the atmosphere at heights from 63 to 48 km and analyzed with the SIGMA-3 chromatograph. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) was revealed in the gaseous sample at the height of 48 km. From the experimental results and blank run measurements, a suggestion is made that the Venusian cloud layer aerosol consists of more complicated particles than the sulfuric acid water solution does.

Gelman, B. G.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Measurements of the composition of aerosol component of Venusian atmosphere with Vega 1 lander, preliminary data

Preliminary investigation of mass spectra of gaseous products of pyrolyzed Venusian cloud particles collected and analyzed by the complex device of mass-spectrometer and collector pyrolyzer on board Vega 1 lander revealed the presence of heavy particles in the upper cloud layer. Based on 64 amu peak (SO2+), an estimate of the lower limit of the sulfuric acid aerosol content at the 62 to 54 km heights of approximately 2.0 mg/cu m is obtained. A chlorine line (35 and 37 amu) is also present in the mass spectrum with a lower limit of the chlorine concentration of approximately 0.3 mg/ cu m.

Surkov, Y. A.↗