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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 505 records · Page 28

Constructing an advanced software tool for planetary atmospheric modeling

Scientific model building can be an intensive and painstaking process, often involving the development of large and complex computer programs. Despite the effort involved, scientific models cannot be easily distributed and shared with other scientists. In general, implemented scientific models are complex, idiosyncratic, and difficult for anyone but the original scientist/programmer to understand. We believe that advanced software techniques can facilitate both the model building and model sharing process. In this paper, we describe a prototype for a scientific modeling software tool that serves as an aid to the scientist in developing and using models. This tool includes an interactive intelligent graphical interface, a high level domain specific modeling language, a library of physics equations and experimental datasets, and a suite of data display facilities. Our prototype has been developed in the domain of planetary atmospheric modeling, and is being used to construct models of Titan's atmosphere.

Keller, Richard M.↗

Opportunity for early science return by the Artemis Program

The purpose of the Artemis Program is to gather vital scientific and engineering data by conducting robotic exploration missions on the lunar surface both prior to and concurrent with human missions. The Artemis Program includes rapid, near-term development of a variety of small experimental and operational payloads, a low-cost capacity to deliver these payloads to any location on the lunar surface, and the analysis of the data returned. The Artemis Program will provide opportunities to improve the understanding of lunar geosciences, to demonstrate the Moon's unique capacity as an astronomical platform to study the universe, to conduct scientific and technology development experiments, and to prepare for and complement human missions.

Meyer, Charles↗

User benefits and funding strategies

The justification, economic and technological benefits of NASA Space Programs (aside from pure scientific objectives), in improving the quality of life in the United States is discussed and outlined. Specifically, a three-step, systematic method is described for selecting relevant and highly beneficial payloads and instruments for the Interim Upper Stage (IUS) that will be used with the space shuttle until the space tug becomes available. Viable Government and private industry cost-sharing strategies which would maximize the number of IUS payloads, and the benefits obtainable under a limited NASA budget were also determined. Charts are shown which list the payload instruments, and their relevance in contributing to such areas as earth resources management, agriculture, weather forecasting, and many others.

Archer, J. L.↗

Summary of the active microwave users workshop

A coordinated microwave applications development program was initiated to improve the capability to: (1) identify, monitor, and assess the earth's resources; and (2) monitor the earth's environment and predict significant changes. The program consists of the scientific, technical, and programmatic activities required to develop microwave remote sensing into an operational tool for systematic earth observations.

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The role of NASA for aerospace information

The NASA Scientific and Technical Information Program operations are performed by two contractor operated facilities. The NASA STI Facility, located near Baltimore, Maryland, employs about 210 people who process report literature, operate the computer complex, and provide support for software maintenance and developments. A second contractor, the Technical Information Services of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, employs approximately 80 people in New York City and processes the open literature such as journals, magazines, and books. Features of these programs include online access via RECON, announcement services, and international document exchange.

Chandler, G. P., Jr.↗

Solar Maximum Mission

The paper considers the objectives of the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM), and describes its spacecraft, the scientific planning, the observing program, and the guest investigator programs. The SMM observatory will be injected into a circular orbit with an altitude of 574 km and it is designed for a minimum of one year of operational life; its observing program is directed at the physics of solar flares, and includes studies of thermalization, the nature of electron acceleration, the flare energy budget, and the flare decay. Finally, the SMM Guest Investigator program is discussed, including ground-based synoptic and atomic data investigations and SMM data interpretation.

Bohlin, J. D.↗

Orders of Magnitude: A History of NACA and NASA, 1915 - 1980

The history of NACA and NASA from 1915 to 1980 is narrated. The impact of two world wars on aeronautics is reviewed. Research activity before and during World War II is presented. Postwar exploitation of new technologies is summarized. The creation of NASA and a comprehensive space program is discussed. Long range planning for a lunar mission is described. The Gemini project is reviewed. The Apollo project and side effects includng NASA's university and technology transfer programs are presented. Numerous scientific and application satellite projects are reviewed. The impact of budget reductions is explained. The value of space exploration is emphasized. Development of the Space Shuttle is reported.

Anderson, F. W., Jr.↗

NASA Fundamental Remote Sensing Science Research Program

The NASA Fundamental Remote Sensing Research Program is described. The program provides a dynamic scientific base which is continually broadened and from which future applied research and development can draw support. In particular, the overall objectives and current studies of the scene radiation and atmospheric effect characterization (SRAEC) project are reviewed. The SRAEC research can be generically structured into four types of activities including observation of phenomena, empirical characterization, analytical modeling, and scene radiation analysis and synthesis. The first three activities are the means by which the goal of scene radiation analysis and synthesis is achieved, and thus are considered priority activities during the early phases of the current project. Scene radiation analysis refers to the extraction of information describing the biogeophysical attributes of the scene from the spectral, spatial, and temporal radiance characteristics of the scene including the atmosphere. Scene radiation synthesis is the generation of realistic spectral, spatial, and temporal radiance values for a scene with a given set of biogeophysical attributes and atmospheric conditions.

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Projection for Space Geodynamics, 1988-1998

Premises defining the technical and operational environment of the next decade are listed. Observational programs required to satisfy scientific objectives in the study of geopotential fields, global dynamics, tectonics, and regional tectonics/crustal hazards are defined. Capabilities and applications of the Geopotential Research Mission to be launched in the early 1990's are explored and the benefits of more detailed measurements of the Moon and planets are indicated. Earthquake prediction in the western part of the U.S. is discussed. The use of decimeter, centimeter, and millimeter systems for very long baseline interferometry, satellite laser ranging, and lunar ranging techniques are discussed. Geographic regions of particular interest are identified.

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Outline of the Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers (AMPTE) mission

This paper is intended as an introduction to a series of papers describing the three satellites of the AMPTE mission and their instrumentation. The aims and scientific context of the program are given together with a comparison of the general characteristics of the three spacecraft and their orbits. There is a brief resume of the studies performed so far, and a statement of future plans, together with a calendar of completed and planned experiments and measurements.

Bryant, D. A.↗

Interstellar Medium Absorption Profile Spectrograph (IMAPS)

The design and fabrication of an objective-grating echelle spectrograph to fly on sounding rockets and record spectra of stars from approximately 920 to 1120A with a resolving power lambda/delta lambda = 200,000 is discussed. The scientific purpose of the program is to observe, with ten times better velocity resolution than before, the plentiful absorption lines in this spectral region produced by atoms, ions and molecules in the interstellar medium. In addition, an important technical goal is to develop and flight-quality a new ultraviolet, photon-counting image sensor which has a windowless, opaque photocathode and a CCD bombarded directly by the accelerated photoelectrons. Except for some initial difficulties with the performance of CCDs, the development of the payload instrument is relatively straightforward and our overall design goals are satisfied. The first flight occurred in late 1984, but no data were obtained because of an inrush of air degraded the instrument's vacuum and caused the detector's high voltage to arc. A second flight in early 1985 was a complete success and obtained a spectrum of pi Sco. Data from this mission are currently being reduced; quick-look versions of the spectra indicate that excellent results will be obtained. Currently, the payload is being reconfigured to fly on a Spartan mission in 1988.

Jenkins, E. B.↗

Typography and layout of technical reports - Survey of current practices

As part of a review of the NASA Langley Research Center scientific and technical information program, 50 technical reports from industry, research institutions, and government agencies were systematically examined and analyzed to determine current usage and practice in regard to (1) typography, including composition method, type style, type size, and margin treatment; (2) graphic design, including layout and imposition of material on the page; and (3) physical media, including paper, ink, and binding methods. The results indicate that approximately 50 percent of the reports were typeset, 70 percent used Roman (serif) type, 80 percent used 10- or 11-point type for text, 60 percent used a ragged right-hand margin, slightly more than half used paragraph indentation, 75 percent used a single-column layout, 65 percent had one or more figures or tables placed perpendicular to (not aligned with) the text, and perfect binding was the most frequently used binding method.

Pinelli, T. E.↗

Methods for design and evaluation of integrated hardware/software systems for concurrent computation

Two testbed programming environments to support the evaluation of a large range of parallel architectures have been implemented under the program Parallel Implementation of Scientific Computing Environments (PISCES). The PISCES 1 environment was applied to two areas of aerospace interest: a sparse matrix iterative equation solver and a dynamic scene analysis system. Currently, the NICE/SPAR testbed system for structural analysis is being modified for parallel operation under PISCES 2; the PISCES 1 applications are also being adapted for PISCES 2. A new formal model of concurrent computation has been developed, based on the mathematical system known as H graph semantics together with a timed Petri net model of the parallel aspects of a system.

Pratt, Terrence W.↗