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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 73 records · Page 4

Predictions of induced background radiations at gamma/X-ray experiment envelopes in NASA spacecraft

This work seeks to predict secondary radiation levels induced in spacecraft structures by space protons. The radiations analyzed are secondary neutrons from spallation and evaporation reactions and gamma and beta rays from the decay of induced radioactivity, as sources of interfering background to spaceborne measurements of galactic and planetary gamma rays below 10 MeV. The spacecraft considered are the Multi-Mission Spacecraft (MMS) and the Space Shuttle, modeled as spherical shells. The proton environment is that of the South Atlantic Anomaly, as well as cosmic ray protons. The induced radioactivity is analyzed in terms of its interference with various gamma-ray lines of astrophysical interest, as well as its contribution to several spectral regions of the gamma-ray continuum. The buildup of the line and continuum radioactivity background is predicted for a period of nearly 9 months in orbit (approximately 4100 orbits). In addition, background contributions from cosmic ray electron bremsstrahlung and earth gamma-ray albedo are estimated.

Fischbein, W. L.↗

Space exploration outlook

The exploration of the solar system has been one of NASA's most significant achievements. Currently Voyager 2 is on its way to Uranus and Neptune, and Galileo is being readied for detailed investigation of Jupiter and its Galilean satellites. A new phase of exploration will be inaugurated in the mid-80s with the start of the Planetary Observers and Mariner Mark II missions. A major thrust during this phase will be to cut mission costs by emphasizing spacecraft inheritance and multi-mission automated mission operations. More ambitious missions, e.g., Mars Sample Return, are under study but probably will not be candidates for new start funding till the mid-90s. Another exciting area is the potential utilization of resources on the moon and near earth asteroids.

Rea, D. G.↗

Ballistic comet exploration mission options

Trajectory options and mission opportunities of cometary rendezvous missions begining in 1990 are explored. The study is constrained to the capabilities of the Mariner Mark II multi-mission spacecraft, Shuttle launch and Centaur G-prime boost. The mission would be targeted at collecting an atomized sample, near the comet perihelion, and returning the sample for analysis. Mission trajectories, launch dates, payload masses and flight durations are provided for 13 comets. All missions would take from 4-8 yr and deliver a 600-2000 kg payload. A survey of mission opportunities involving Jupiter gravity assists is also presented.

Yen, C.-W. L.↗

The Planetary Observer Program

An overview is presented of NASA's plans for the Planetary Observer Program, whose key element is to control the cost of each mission while establishing a long-term, stable base for the planetary sciences. The SSEC (Solar System Exploration Committee) has endorsed the view that many high science priority inner solar system missions are possible through the use of spacecraft derived from existing earth-orbital spacecraft. It has also recommended the application of space hardware such as that used on the Voyager and Galileo missions, development of both a new modular spacecraft for outer planet, comet, and main-belt asteroid missions (Mariner Mark II Program), and a multi-mission operations system to support future missions after the Venus Radar Mapper (VRM), and Galileo. A set of missions for the SSEC's Core Program has been recommended; they include: the VRM, the Mars Geoscience/Climatology Observer, the Comet Rendezvous/Asteroid Flyby, the Lunar Geoscience Orbiter, the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous, the Venus Atmosphere Probe, the Mars Aeronomy Orbiter, the Mars Surface Probe, and the Comet Intercept Sample Return.

Blume, W. H.↗

Servicers system demonstration plan and capability development

A plan for the demonstration of the exchange of Multi-Mission Modular Spacecraft (MMS) modules using the servicer mechanism Engineering Test Unit (ETU) was prepared and executed. The plan included: establishment of requirements, conceptual design, selection of MMS spacecraft mockup configuration, selection of MMS module mockup configuration, evaluation of adequacy of ETU load capability, and selection of a stowage rack arrangement. The MMS module exchange demonstration mockup equipment was designed, fabricated, checked out, shipped, installed, and demonstrated.

Bulboaca, M. A.↗

The system integration and verification testing of an orbital maneuvering vehicle for an air bearing floor

The teleoperator and Robotics Evaluation Facility (TOREF) is composed of a 4,000 square foot precision air bearing floor, the Teleoperator Motion Base, the Target Motion and Support Simulator, the mock-ups of the Hubble Space Telescope, Multi-mission Modular Spacecraft, and the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV). The TOREF and its general capabilities to support the OMV and other remote system simulations; the facility operating procedures and requirements; and the results of generic OMV investigations are summarized.

Shields, N. L., Jr.↗

Instrument pointing technology for spaceborne science missions of the 1990's

The technologies which will permit sub-0.1 arcsec pointing accuracies on spacecraft in the 1990s are examined, along with the accuracies required and the current state of the art. Of particular interest are multi-mission spacecraft. Pointing accuracy can only be obtained by integrating the instrument (telescope) as part of the spacecraft, minimizing disturbances and using reaction wheels for pointing. The pointer could be isolated from complex spacecraft disturbances by soft mechanical mounts, e.g., inflatible tethers, guy-wire suspension and fluidic pointing systems. All design options are being explored for the Space Station, Earth Observing System, Co-orbiting platform and GEO platform spacecraft, and for near-term planetary spacecraft which will employ nuclear electric propulsion.

Laskin, R. A.↗

Concepts for a global resources information system

The objective of the Global Resources Information System (GRIS) is to establish an effective and efficient information management system to meet the data access requirements of NASA and NASA-related scientists conducting large-scale, multi-disciplinary, multi-mission scientific investigations. Using standard interfaces and operating guidelines, diverse data systems can be integrated to provide the capabilities to access and process multiple geographically dispersed data sets and to develop the necessary procedures and algorithms to derive global resource information.

Billingsley, F. C.↗

The Space Flight Operations Center development project

This paper presents an overview of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) plan for developing a multi-mission facility called the Space Flight Operations Center (SFOC). The SFOC development is a five-year project with the objective of developing and adapting up-to-date computing, networking and data management technology to meet the future data processing and data management requirements for JPL's flight project mission operations. Presented are the project background, basic goals and objectives, design concept and project implementation approach.

Ebersole, M. M.↗

Space Infrared Telescope Facility/Multimission Modular Spacecraft Attitude Control System conceptual design

A control system utilizing the Multi-mission Modular Spacecraft (MMS) Attitude Control System (ACS) was developed and analyzed for the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) spacecraft. Alternative torquer augmentation schemes were studied to determine viable ACS approaches. A control law was developed to use a dual set of single-axis Control Moment Gyros (CMGs) for two-axis control. Flexible structural models were developed using a high fidelity, flight tested NASTRAN model of the MMS, coupled with a NASTRAN model of the SIRTF telescope. Modal significance criteria were employed to reduce the structural model. Multivariable interactive techniques were used to synthesize the control system (including the structural filters). Control system performance for the SIRTF operational modes (quiescent inertial hold, slewing, nodding, and rastering) was then determined using both single-axis and three-axis simulations). The control system described met performance requirements for all modes but the raster with the use of CMGs. The raster performance was limited by the structural flexibility.

Class, Brian F.↗

Integrated resource scheduling in a distributed scheduling environment

The Space Station era presents a highly-complex multi-mission planning and scheduling environment exercised over a highly distributed system. In order to automate the scheduling process, customers require a mechanism for communicating their scheduling requirements to NASA. A request language that a remotely-located customer can use to specify his scheduling requirements to a NASA scheduler, thus automating the customer-scheduler interface, is described. This notation, Flexible Envelope-Request Notation (FERN), allows the user to completely specify his scheduling requirements such as resource usage, temporal constraints, and scheduling preferences and options. The FERN also contains mechanisms for representing schedule and resource availability information, which are used in the inter-scheduler inconsistency resolution process. Additionally, a scheduler is described that can accept these requests, process them, generate schedules, and return schedule and resource availability information to the requester. The Request-Oriented Scheduling Engine (ROSE) was designed to function either as an independent scheduler or as a scheduling element in a network of schedulers. When used in a network of schedulers, each ROSE communicates schedule and resource usage information to other schedulers via the FERN notation, enabling inconsistencies to be resolved between schedulers. Individual ROSE schedules are created by viewing the problem as a constraint satisfaction problem with a heuristically guided search strategy.

Zoch, David↗

Full-disk magnetograms obtained with a Na magneto-optical filter at the Mount Wilson Observatory

The first full-disk magnetograms to be obtained with the Na magneto-optical filter (MOF) which is located at the 60 foot solar tower of the Mount Wilson Observatory are presented. This MOF was employed as a longitudinal magnetograph on June 18, 19, and July 1, 1987. On those three days the MOF was combined with a large format (1024 x 1024 pixel) virtual phase change coupled device camera and a high-speed data acquisition system. The combined system was used to record both line-of-sight magnetograms and Dopplergrams which covered the entire visible solar hemisphere. The pixel size of these magnetograms and Dopplergrams was 2.3 arcseconds. On each of the three days a time series of nine pairs of magnetograms and Dopplergrams was obtained at the rate of one pair every two minutes. On the same three day longitudinal magnetograms have one arcsecond pixels were obtained with the vacuum telescope at Kitt Peak. The MOF and vacuum tower magnetograms were compared at both the JPL Multi-Mission Image Processing Laboratory and at USC and have found the two sets of images to be well correlated both in spatial distribution and strength of the measured magnetic field. The simultaneously-obtained MOF Dopplergrams to remove the crosstalk which was present between the Doppler and Zeeman shifts of the NaD lines from the magnetograms from all three days and will also describe recent improvements to the system which allowed the obtaining of full-disk magnetograms as rapidly as one every 25 seconds.

Rhodes, Edward J., Jr.↗

In-space technology development: Atomic oxygen and orbital debris effects

Earlier Shuttle flight experiments have shown atomic oxygen within the orbital environment can interact with many materials to produce surface recession and mass loss and combine catalytically with other constituents to generate visible and infrared glows. In addition to these effects, examinations of returned satellite hardware have shown many spacecraft materials are also susceptible to damage from high velocity impacts with orbital space debris. These effects are of particular concern for large, multi-mission spacecraft, such as Space Station and SDI operational satellites, that will operate in low-Earth orbit (LEO) during the late 1990's. Not only must these spacecraft include materials and exterior coatings that are resistant to atomic oxygen surface interactions, but these materials must also provide adequate protection against erosion and pitting that could result from numerous impacts with small particles (less than 100 microns) of orbital space debris. An overview of these concerns is presented, and activities now underway to develop materials and coatings are outlined that will provide adequate atomic protection for future spacecraft. The report also discusses atomic oxygen and orbital debris flight experiments now under development to expand our limited data base, correlate ground-based measurments with flight results, and develop an orbital debris collision warning system for use by future spacecraft.

Visentine, James T.↗

Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS), mission 1: Introduction

The first Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS 1) is a NASA mission with an international payload, with the European Space Agency providing operational support for the European investigations. The ATLAS 1 represents the first of a series of shuttle-borne payloads which are intended to study the composition of the middle atmosphere and its possible variations due to solar changes over the course of an 11-year solar cycle. One of the ATLAS missions will coincide with NASA's Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS) mission and will provide crucial parameters not measured by the instrument complement on the satellite. A first in this evolutionary program, the ATLAS 1 will carry a payload of instruments originally flown on the Spacelab 1 and Spacelab 3 missions. The ATLAS mission therefore exploits the shuttle capability to return sophisticated instruments to the ground for refurbishment and updating, and the multi-mission reflight of the instruments at intervals required by the scientific goals. In addition to the investigations specific to the ATLAS objectives, the first mission payload includes others that are intended to study or use the near earth environment.

Source record↗

SHARP: Automated monitoring of spacecraft health and status

Briefly discussed here are the spacecraft and ground systems monitoring process at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Some of the difficulties associated with the existing technology used in mission operations are highlighted. A new automated system based on artificial intelligence technology is described which seeks to overcome many of these limitations. The system, called the Spacecraft Health Automated Reasoning Prototype (SHARP), is designed to automate health and status analysis for multi-mission spacecraft and ground data systems operations. The system has proved to be effective for detecting and analyzing potential spacecraft and ground systems problems by performing real-time analysis of spacecraft and ground data systems engineering telemetry. Telecommunications link analysis of the Voyager 2 spacecraft was the initial focus for evaluation of the system in real-time operations during the Voyager spacecraft encounter with Neptune in August 1989.

Atkinson, David J.↗

SPAN: Astronomy and astrophysics

The Space Physics Analysis Network (SPAN) is a multi-mission, correlative data comparison network which links science research and data analysis computers in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The purpose of this document is to provide Astronomy and Astrophysics scientists, currently reachable on SPAN, with basic information and contacts for access to correlative data bases, star catalogs, and other astrophysic facilities accessible over SPAN.

Thomas, Valerie L.↗

SPAN: Ocean science

The Space Physics Analysis Network (SPAN) is a multi-mission, correlative data comparison network which links space and Earth science research and data analysis computers. It provides a common working environment for sharing computer resources, sharing computer peripherals, solving proprietary problems, and providing the potential for significant time and cost savings for correlative data analysis. This is one of a series of discipline-specific SPAN documents which are intended to complement the SPAN primer and SPAN Management documents. Their purpose is to provide the discipline scientists with a comprehensive set of documents to assist in the use of SPAN for discipline specific scientific research.

Thomas, Valerie L.↗