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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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NASA NTRS2019

Lessons Learned from the Flight Unit Testing of the Near Earth Asteroid Scout Flight System

The Near Earth Asteroid Scout flight mission is set to launch on the maiden voyage of the Space Launch System as a secondary payload. The spacecraft will be jettisoned in cis-lunar space and embark on an ambitious 2.5 year mission to image an asteroid. The spacecraft is uniquely equipped with an 85m2 solar sail as the main propulsion system. The monolithic sail system is designed to package within a 6U volume for launch and then deploy during flight. The NEA Scout team has presented in the past to the International Symposium on Solar Sailing topics related to the engineering development unit and design efforts to achieve flight hardware build. This paper will focus on the lessons learned from building and testing the NEA Scout flight system. Focus will be on the mechanical, software, and electrical interfaces as well as preparation for subsystem environmental tests, including thermal vacuum. Due to the unique design of the spacecraft, the solar sail subsystem was required to be located in the center of the spacecraft. This requirement lead to design challenges such as designing and accommodating critical cable harnesses to run through the center of the sail subsystem, packaging and deployment design of the sail subsystem, and integrated testing efforts through an avionics test bed to verify and validate a complete system architecture.

Lockett, Tiffany Russell↗
NASA NTRS2008

NASA Langley's AirSTAR Testbed: A Subscale Flight Test Capability for Flight Dynamics and Control System Experiments

As part of the Airborne Subscale Transport Aircraft Research (AirSTAR) project, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has developed a subscaled flying testbed in order to conduct research experiments in support of the goals of NASA s Aviation Safety Program. This research capability consists of three distinct components. The first of these is the research aircraft, of which there are several in the AirSTAR stable. These aircraft range from a dynamically-scaled, twin turbine vehicle to a propeller driven, off-the-shelf airframe. Each of these airframes carves out its own niche in the research test program. All of the airplanes have sophisticated on-board data acquisition and actuation systems, recording, telemetering, processing, and/or receiving data from research control systems. The second piece of the testbed is the ground facilities, which encompass the hardware and software infrastructure necessary to provide comprehensive support services for conducting flight research using the subscale aircraft, including: subsystem development, integrated testing, remote piloting of the subscale aircraft, telemetry processing, experimental flight control law implementation and evaluation, flight simulation, data recording/archiving, and communications. The ground facilities are comprised of two major components: (1) The Base Research Station (BRS), a LaRC laboratory facility for system development, testing and data analysis, and (2) The Mobile Operations Station (MOS), a self-contained, motorized vehicle serving as a mobile research command/operations center, functionally equivalent to the BRS, capable of deployment to remote sites for supporting flight tests. The third piece of the testbed is the test facility itself. Research flights carried out by the AirSTAR team are conducted at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The UAV Island runway is a 50 x 1500 paved runway that lies within restricted airspace at Wallops Flight Facility. The facility provides all the necessary infrastructure to conduct the research flights in a safe and efficient manner. This paper gives a comprehensive overview of the development of the AirSTAR testbed.

Jordan, Thomas L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of a Test Article to Demonstrate the Long Duration Storage of Liquid Hydrogen via a Two-Stage Active Cooling Approach

A NASA team is developing a test article for the purpose of demonstrating the long duration storage of liquid hydrogen utilizing passive Cryogenic Fluid Management and cryocoolers via a two-stage active cooling approach. Funded by NASA’s Technology Demonstration Mission Program and managed by the Cryogenic Fluid Management Portfolio Project, the team is leveraging demonstrations conducted under pervious NASA activities to develop a fully integrated test article that will demonstrate the zero boil-off storage of liquid hydrogen. This paper discusses the previous activities being leveraged from NASA’s Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer project, the test article design and build, hardware and instrumentation selections, control methodology, and the planned primary and secondary test objectives. The test article assembly and demonstration are both to be conducted in the East Test Area at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and are currently scheduled for Fiscal Year 2024.

Active Cooling↗
NASA NTRS2000

Evolution of Bromoform in a Global Chemistry and Transport Model

It is well known that many chlorine and bromine compounds that are inert in the troposphere are destroyed in the stratosphere and contribute to the stratospheric burden of reactive chlorine and bromine species. But the contribution from those chlorine and bromine compounds which are reactive in the troposphere is less certain because it is not known whether convection can transport these gases to the upper troposphere rapidly enough to overcome their short tropospheric lifetimes. We examine this issue using a three-dimensional chemistry and transport model to simulate the evolution of three gases which have surface sources, bromoform (CHBr3), methyl chloroform (CH3CCl3), and carbon dioxide (CO2). Our objective is to determine if CHBr3 might enhance the lower stratospheric burden of reactive bromine. The other two gases provide tests of the quality of the simulation. Both CHBr3 and CH3CCl3 are destroyed in the troposphere by reaction with hydroxyl (OH), whose latitudinal and monthly variation is provided by a two-dimensional model and upon which a diurnal variation is imposed. Comparison of the lifetime of CH3CCl3 computed from observations (5 years) with the lifetime computed from the simulation provides an integrated test of the model's transport and photochemistry. Observations also show that CO2 exhibits a strong seasonal cycle in the northern hemisphere troposphere that is not propagated directly across the tropopause into the lower stratosphere. Thus, maintenance of the observed troposphere-stratosphere distinctness of CO2 in the presence of convection is a critical benchmark for meeting our objective.

Douglass, Anne R.↗
NASA NTRS2011

The Functional Task Test (FTT): An Interdisciplinary Testing Protocol to Investigate the Factors Underlying Changes in Astronaut Functional Performance

Exposure to space flight causes adaptations in multiple physiological systems including changes in sensorimotor, cardiovascular, and neuromuscular systems. These changes may affect a crewmember s ability to perform critical mission tasks immediately after landing on a planetary surface. The overall goal of this project is to determine the effects of space flight on functional tests that are representative of high priority exploration mission tasks and to identify the key underlying physiological factors that contribute to decrements in performance. To achieve this goal we developed an interdisciplinary testing protocol (Functional Task Test, FTT) that evaluates both astronaut functional performance and related physiological changes. Functional tests include ladder climbing, hatch opening, jump down, manual manipulation of objects and tool use, seat egress and obstacle avoidance, recovery from a fall and object translation tasks. Physiological measures include assessments of postural and gait control, dynamic visual acuity, fine motor control, plasma volume, orthostatic intolerance, upper- and lower-body muscle strength, power, endurance, control, and neuromuscular drive. Crewmembers perform this integrated test protocol before and after short (Shuttle) and long-duration (ISS) space flight. Data are collected on two sessions before flight, on landing day (Shuttle only) and 1, 6 and 30 days after landing. Preliminary results from both Shuttle and ISS crewmembers indicate decrement in performance of the functional tasks after both short and long-duration space flight. On-going data collection continues to improve the statistical power required to map changes in functional task performance to alterations in physiological systems. The information obtained from this study will be used to design and implement countermeasures that specifically target the physiological systems most responsible for the altered functional performance associated with space flight.

Bloomberg, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Development Status of the NASA 30-cm Ion Thruster and Power Processor

Xenon ion propulsion systems are being developed by NASA Lewis Research Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to provide flight qualification and validation for planetary and earth-orbital missions. In the ground-test element of this program, light-weight (less than 7 kg), 30 cm diameter ion thrusters have been fabricated, and preliminary design verification tests have been conducted. At 2.3 kW, the thrust, specific impulse, and efficiency were 91 mN, 3300 s, and 0.65, respectively. An engineering model thruster is now undergoing a 2000 h wear-test. A breadboard power processor is being developed to operate from an 80 V to 120 V power bus with inverter switching frequencies of 50 kHz. The power processor design is a pathfinder and uses only three power supplies. The projected specific mass of a flight unit is about 5 kg/kW with an efficiency of 0.92 at the full-power of 2.5 kW. Preliminary integration tests of the neutralizer power supply and the ion thruster have been completed. Fabrication and test of the discharge and beam/accelerator power stages are underway.

Sovey, James S.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Earth Observing System/Meteorological Satellite (EOS/METSAT). Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) Contamination Control Plan

This Contamination Control Plan is submitted in response the Contract Document requirements List (CDRL) 007 under contract NAS5-32314 for the Earth Observing System (EOS) Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit A (AMSU-A). In response to the CDRL instructions, this document defines the level of cleanliness and methods/procedures to be followed to achieve adequate cleanliness/contamination control, and defines the required approach to maintain cleanliness/contamination control through shipping, observatory integration, test, and flight. This plan is also applicable to the Meteorological Satellite (METSAT) except where requirements are identified as EOS-specific. This plan is based on two key factors: a. The EOS/METSAT AMSU-A Instruments are not highly contamination sensitive. b. Potential contamination of other EOS Instruments is a key concern as addressed in Section 9/0 of the Performance Assurance Requirements for EOS/METSAT Integrated Programs AMSU-A Instrument (MR) (NASA Specification S-480-79).

Fay, M.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Stirling Technology Development at NASA GRC

The Department of Energy, Stirling Technology Company (STC), and NASA Glenn Research Center (NASA Glenn) are developing a free-piston Stirling convertor for a high efficiency Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG) for NASA Space Science missions. The SRG is being developed for multimission use, including providing electric power for unmanned Mars rovers and deep space missions. NASA Glenn is conducting an in-house technology project to assist in developing the convertor for space qualification and mission implementation. Recent testing of 55-We Technology Demonstration Convertors (TDCs) built by STC includes mapping of a second pair of TDCs, single TDC testing, and TDC electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic compatibility characterization on a nonmagnetic test stand. Launch environment tests of a single TDC without its pressure vessel to better understand the convertor internal structural dynamics and of dual-opposed TDCs with several engineering mounting structures with different natural frequencies have recently been completed. A preliminary life assessment has been completed for the TDC heater head, and creep testing of the IN718 material to be used for the flight convertors is underway. Long-term magnet aging tests are continuing to characterize any potential aging in the strength or demagnetization resistance of the magnets used in the linear alternator (LA). Evaluations are now beginning on key organic materials used in the LA and piston/rod surface coatings. NASA Glenn is also conducting finite element analyses for the LA, in part to look at the demagnetization margin on the permanent magnets. The world's first known integrated test of a dynamic power system with electric propulsion was achieved at NASA Glenn when a Hall-effect thruster was successfully operated with a free-piston Stirling power source. Cleveland State University is developing a multidimensional Stirling computational fluid dynamics code to significantly improve Stirling loss predictions and assist in identifying convertor areas for further improvements. This paper will update the status and results for these efforts.

Thieme, Lanny G.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Stirling Technology Development at NASA GRC

The Department of Energy, Stirling Technology Company (STC), and NASA Glenn Research Center (NASA Glenn) are developing a free-piston Stirling convertor for a high-efficiency Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG) for NASA Space Science missions. The SRG is being developed for multimission use, including providing electric power for unmanned Mars rovers and deep space missions. NASA Glenn is conducting an in-house technology project to assist in developing the convertor for space qualification and mission implementation. Recent testing, of 55-We Technology Demonstration Convertors (TDC's) built by STC includes mapping, of a second pair of TDC's, single TDC testing, and TDC electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic compatibility characterization on a nonmagnetic test stand. Launch environment tests of a single TDC without its pressure vessel to better understand the convertor internal structural dynamics and of dual-opposed TDC's with several engineering mounting structures with different natural frequencies have recently been completed. A preliminary life assessment has been completed for the TDC heater head, and creep testing of the IN718 material to be used for the flight convertors is underway. Long-term magnet aging tests are continuing to characterize any potential aging in the strength or demagnetization resistance of the magnets used in the linear alternator (LA). Evaluations are now beginning on key organic materials used in the LA and piston/rod surface coatings. NASA Glenn is also conducting finite element analyses for the LA, in part to look at the demagnetization margin on the permanent magnets. The world's first known integrated test of a dynamic power system with electric propulsion was achieved at NASA Glenn when a Hall-effect thruster was successfully operated with a free-piston Stirling power source. Cleveland State University is developing a multidimensional Stirling computational fluid dynamics code to significantly improve Stirling loss predictions and assist in identifying convertor areas for further improvements. This paper will update the status and results for these efforts.

Thieme, Lanny G.↗
NASA NTRS2010

A Near-Term Concept for Trajectory Based Operations with Air/Ground Data Link Communication

An operating concept and required system components for trajectory-based operations with air/ground data link for today's en route and transition airspace is proposed. Controllers are fully responsible for separation as they are today, and no new aircraft equipage is required. Trajectory automation computes integrated solutions to problems like metering, weather avoidance, traffic conflicts and the desire to find and fly more time/fuel efficient flight trajectories. A common ground-based system supports all levels of aircraft equipage and performance including those equipped and not equipped for data link. User interface functions for the radar controller's display make trajectory-based clearance advisories easy to visualize, modify if necessary, and implement. Laboratory simulations (without human operators) were conducted to test integrated operation of selected system components with uncertainty modeling. Results are based on 102 hours of Fort Worth Center traffic recordings involving over 37,000 individual flights. The presence of uncertainty had a marginal effect (5%) on minimum-delay conflict resolution performance, and windfavorable routes had no effect on detection and resolution metrics. Flight plan amendments and clearances were substantially reduced compared to today s operations. Top-of-descent prediction errors are the largest cause of failure indicating that better descent predictions are needed to reliably achieve fuel-efficient descent profiles in medium to heavy traffic. Improved conflict detections for climbing flights could enable substantially more continuous climbs to cruise altitude. Unlike today s Conflict Alert, tactical automation must alert when an altitude amendment is entered, but before the aircraft starts the maneuver. In every other failure case tactical automation prevented losses of separation. A real-time prototype trajectory trajectory-automation system is running now and could be made ready for operational testing at an en route Center in 1-2 years.

McNally, David↗
NASA NTRS2009

Roadmaps and Strategies for Crop Research for Bioregenerative Life Support Systems A Compilation of Findings from NASA’s Advanced Life Support Meetings

Extensive testing with plants for bioregenerative life support systems has been conducted by NASA for nearly 40 years, both through university grants and work at NASA field centers. During this time, numerous meetings were held to develop strategies and roadmaps for implementing bioregenerative life support systems. Findings from several of these meetings are summarized in this report. In nearly all cases, the recommendations included an active ground-based research program and integration tests with other life support subsystems, followed by eventual spaceflight testing. The most recent roadmap of NASA’s Exploration Life Support Crop Element suggests a sequence of first developing a modular vegetable production unit (VPU) to provide perishable foods to supplement the crew’s diet. A similar system could then be used on the lunar surface, with additional modules added as the lunar outpost expands. Eventually, these modules could be transferred to a dedicated pressurized logistics module (PLM) for crop production. Experience from the lunar tests could then be used to conduct a similar buildup for Mars missions, where in situ food production and bioregeneration would be important for achieving outpost autonomy. To date, most trade studies of bioregenerative life support systems indicate that reducing the costs associated with crop lighting systems are key, and use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or direct solar lighting offers promising options. Likewise, sustaining high yields and high harvest index (% edible biomass) will be important for minimizing costs, and this can be achieved by optimizing growth environments and through selecting, breeding, and genetically engineering crops suitable for space environments. Collectively, these strategies and roadmaps suggest that a combined approach of fundamental research, hardware (plant chamber) development, and operational testing is required to achieve reliable bioregenerative life support systems.

Bioregenerative↗
NASA NTRS2000

The New Millenium Program: Serving Earth and Space Sciences

NASA has exciting plans for space science and Earth observations during the next decade. A broad range of advanced spacecraft and measurement technologies will be needed to support these plans within the existing budget and schedule constraints. Many of these technology needs are common to both NASA's Office of Earth Science (OES) and Office of Space Sciences (OSS). Even though some breakthrough technologies have been identified to address these needs, project managers have traditionally been reluctant to incorporate them into flight programs because their inherent development risk. To accelerate the infusion of new technologies into its OES and OSS missions, NASA established the New Millennium Program (NMP). This program analyzes the capability needs of these enterprises, identifies candidate technologies to address these needs, incorporates advanced technology suites into validation flights, validates them in the relevant space environment, and then proactively infuses the validated technologies into future missions to enhance their capabilities while reducing their life cycle cost. The NMP employs a cross-enterprise Science Working Group, the NASA Enterprise science and technology roadmaps to define the capabilities needed by future Earth and Space science missions. Additional input from the science community is gathered through open workshops and peer-reviewed NASA Research Announcement (NRAs) for advanced measurement concepts. Technology development inputs from the technology organizations within NASA, other government agencies, federally funded research and development centers (FFRDC's), U.S. industry, and academia are sought to identify breakthrough technologies that might address these needs. This approach significantly extends NASA's technology infrastructure. To complement other flight test programs that develop or validate of individual components, the NMP places its highest priority on system-level validations of technology suites in the relevant space environment. This approach is not needed for all technologies, but it is usually essential to validate advanced system architectures or new measurement concepts. The NMP has recently revised its processes for defining candidate validation flights, and selecting technologies for these flights. The NMP now employs integrated project formulation teams, 'Which include scientists, technologists, and mission planners, to incorporate technology suites into candidate validation flights. These teams develop competing concepts, which can be rigorously evaluated prior to selection for flight. The technology providers for each concept are selected through an open, competitive, process during the project formulation phase. If their concept is selected for flight, they are incorporated into the Project Implementation Team, which develops, integrates, tests, launches, and operates the technology validation flight. Throughout the project implementation phase, the Implementation Team will document and disseminate their validation results to facilitate the infusion of their validated technologies into future OSS and OES science missions. The NMP has successfully launched its first two Deep Space flights for the OSS, and is currently implementing its first two Earth Orbiting flights for the OES. The next OSS and OES flights are currently being defined. Even though these flights are focused on specific Space Science and Earth Science themes, they are designed to validate a range of technologies that could benefit both enterprises, including advanced propulsion, communications, autonomous operations and navigation, multifunctional structures, microelectronics, and advanced instruments. Specific examples of these technologies will be provided in our presentation. The processes developed by the NMP also provide benefits across the Space and Earth Science enterprises. In particular, the extensive, nation-wide technology infrastructure developed by the NMP enhances the access to breakthrough technologies for both enterprises.

Li, Fuk K.↗
NASA NTRS2024

Operational Integration Assessment (OIA) of Midterm UAM Operations: Class C Airspace Tabletop Exercise and Integration Checkpoint

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is conducting research into evolving today’s air traffic management system towards a more automated and operationally flexible airspace to accommodate Urban Air Mobility (UAM) operations at scale. UAM operations, enabled by electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, may change the role of aviation in the movement of people and goods and provide practical, cost-effective air transport in metropolitan areas. FAA UAM Concept of Operations v2.0 describes three evolutionary stages of UAM operations: Initial, Midterm, and Mature State operations. Midterm operations are comprised of many complex changes to the national airspace system (NAS). The Operational Integration Assessment (OIA) was created as a capability to address the need to study the progression and identify interdependencies of those changes that may occur during the midterm UAM operations timeframe. The OIA includes a series of tabletop exercises and integration checkpoints planned to explore various use cases from end-to-end, evaluated by NASA’s Air Traffic Management eXploration (ATM-X) project in partnership with the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center (WJHTC) and industry partners. The use cases were exercised in an immersive, integrated live-virtual-constructive (LVC) airspace simulation environment, called the NASA/FAA Laboratory Integrated Test Environment (NFLITE), as part of an effort to learn how UAM operations can scale beyond the as-is NAS and through the transition to higher-tempo and highly automated operations of the future. This document describes the events of the tabletop exercise held from January 24-26, 2023, at the National Airspace Research & Technology Park (NARTP) in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, adjacent to the WJHTC and the subsequent integration checkpoint performed on March 28, 2023,at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) in Hampton, Virginia.

UAM↗
NASA NTRS2009

Synergistic Development, Test, and Qualification Approaches for the Ares I and V Launch Vehicles

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) initiated plans to develop the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles in 2005 to meet the mission objectives for future human exploration of space. Ares I is designed to provide the capability to deliver the Orion crew exploration vehicle (CEV) to low-Earth orbit (LEO), either for docking to the International Space Station (ISS) or docking with an Earth departure stage (EDS) and lunar lander for transit to the Moon. Ares V provides the heavy-lift capability to deliver the EDS and lunar lander to orbit. An integrated test plan was developed for Ares I that includes un-crewed flight validation testing and ground testing to qualify structural components and propulsion systems prior to operational deployment. The overall test program also includes a single development test flight conducted prior to the Ares I critical design review (CDR). Since the Ares V concept was formulated to maximize hardware commonality between the Ares V and Ares I launch vehicles, initial test planning for Ares V has considered the extensibility of test approaches and facilities from Ares I. The Ares V test plan was part of a successful mission concept review (MCR) in 2008.

Cockrell, Charles E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

CU in space: The University of Colorado get away special payload G-285

The University of Colorado's first Get Away Special was conceived by a dozen science and engineering students in the spring of 1984. Since that time, the project has grown to include over 100 undergraduate and graduate students who have 'provided the experimental objectives, design, construction, integration, testing and management of the payload. Faculty and staff of the university and its affiliated laboratories as well as engineers from local industries have provided many useful suggestions at all stages of development. The principal motivation for developing this payload is to provide university students with the opportunity to participate in space science and engineering beginning at the ground level. At the same time, they are contributing their results from new science and technological discoveries to several disciplines. There are four separate experiments integrated into the /'single payload of G-285 which are supported by internal payload !power, thermal environment control, command land data handling [ facilities and structural subsystems. The four experiments contained in this payload are: a single spectrometer performing i two experiments- one to study night time shuttle glow phenomena in the ultraviolet and the other to observe NO2 concentrations over / equatorial latitudes in the day; a fluids management experiment ' using centrifugation for particle/liquid/vapor separation; and an experiment using Phycomyces fungi to study the gravireceptor mechanism theory. The experiments are supported by a microprocessor, data storage devices, power and thermal control subsystems. All these are located within a sealed aluminum container. The container, a refitted sounding rocket casing, has a top and bottom which bolt to the main body of the rocket section. The top section holds a five inch diameter quartz window through which light enters the spectrometer. A rotating mirror assembly and one of two battery boxes are mounted on the outside of the top section below the interface plane of the MDA. A second battery box is attached to the bottom section of the sealed container. All payload items except the battery boxes and mirror assembly are located inside the sealed rocket section to insure containment and to prevent outgassing of materials. The container will be sealed prior to launch and purged with one atmosphere of argon.

Kent Tobiska↗
NASA NTRS1994

Fiber Optic Control System integration for advanced aircraft. Electro-optic and sensor fabrication, integration, and environmental testing for flight control systems

This report describes the design, development, and testing of passive fiber optic sensors and a multiplexing electro-optic architecture (EOA) for installation and flight test on a NASA-owned F-18 aircraft. This hardware was developed under the Fiber Optic Control Systems for Advanced Aircraft program, part of a multiyear NASA initiative to design, develop, and demonstrate through flight test 'fly-by-light' systems for application to advanced aircraft flight and propulsion control. This development included the design and production of 10 passive optical sensors and associated multiplexed EOA hardware based on wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) technology. A variety of sensor types (rotary position, linear position, temperature, and pressure) incorporating a broad range of sensor technologies (WDM analog, WDM digital, analog microbend, and fluorescent time rate of decay) were obtained from different manufacturers and functionally integrated with an independently designed EOA. The sensors were built for installation in a variety of aircraft locations, placing the sensors in a variety of harsh environments. The sensors and EOA were designed and built to have the resulting devices be as close as practical to a production system. The integrated system was delivered to NASA for flight testing on a NASA-owned F-18 aircraft. Development and integration testing of the system provided valuable information as to which sensor types were simplest to design and build for a military aircraft environment and which types were simplest to operate with a multiplexed EOA. Not all sensor types met the full range of performance and environmental requirements. EOA development problems provided information on directions to pursue in future fly-by-light flight control development programs. Lessons learned in the development of the EOA and sensor hardware are summarized.

Seal, Daniel W.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Results of the Stable Microgravity Vibration Isolation Flight Experiment

This paper presents an overview of the STABLE microgravity isolation system developed and successfully flight tested in October 1995. A description of the hardware design and operational principles is given. A sample of the measured flight data is presented, including an evaluation of attenuation performance provided by the actively controlled electromagnetic isolation system. Preliminary analyses of flight data show that the acceleration environment aboard STABLE's isolated platform was attenuated by a factor of more than 25 between 0.1 and 100 Hz. STABLE was developed under a cooperative agreement between National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Marshall Space Flight Center, and McDonnell Douglas Aerospace. The flight hardware was designed, fabricated, integrated, tested, and delivered to the Cape during a five month period.

Edberg, Donald↗