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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 901 records · Page 50

Results of the first 150 days of the NTS-1 solar cell experiments

Twelve solar cell experiments were on the Naval Research Laboratory NTS-1 satellite launched on 14 July 1974, into a 13,260 km circular orbit at an inclination of 125 deg. The experiment comprises: 2 ohm-cm n/p, lithium-diffused p/n, violet n/p, p(+) back surface field, and ultra-thin wrap around contact cells. The short-circuit current of the experiments ranged from 2 to 12 percent higher in space than under solar simulators. During the 5 year life of the satellite, the experiments will be exposed to radiation equivalent to 2 x 10 to the 15th power 1-MeV electron cm/2 and to nearly 5500 thermal cycles.

Statler, R. L.↗

Operational experiences of a commercial helicopter flown in a large metropolitan area

A survey of commercial helicopter-operating experiences was conducted using a helicopter flight recorder in order to provide a basis for extending helicopter design and service-life criteria. These data are representative of 182 flight hours accumulated during 1414 flights comprised of the separate legs of the total route structure employed. The operating experiences are presented in terms of the time spent within different airspeed brackets, within the classifiable flight conditions of climb, en route, and descent, at various rates of climb and descent, and at different rotor rotational speeds. The results indicated that the helicopter spent a majority of the flight time at airspeeds either below 40 knots or above 100 knots. Rates of climb and descent were concentrated at values below 5.1 m/s (1000 ft/min) particularly for higher airspeeds. Normal acceleration experiences were low, both in the total number and peak value realized; however, an extremely large number of pitch angular-velocity experiences were noted. Rotor rotational speeds were normal with no occurrences above the upper red-line limit.

Dicarlo, D. J.↗

Supplement to the 1975 report on active and planned spacecraft and experiments

A listing and brief description of spacecraft and experiments designed to update the January 1975 report on active and planned spacecraft and experiments to March 31, 1975 was presented. The information is given in two sections. In the first, spacecraft and experiments that have become known to NSSDC since the original report or that have changed significantly are described. In the second, an alphabetical listing is given for all spacecraft and experiments described in the first section and in the original report. It also updates status of operation and launch dates to March 31, 1975.

Horowitz, R.↗

Atmospheric microphysical experiments on an orbital platform

The Zero-Gravity Atmospheric Cloud Physics Laboratory is a Shuttle/Spacelab payload which will be capable of performing a large range of microphysics experiments. This facility will complement terrestrial cloud physics research by allowing many experiments to be performed which cannot be accomplished within the confines of a terrestrial laboratory. This paper reviews the general Cloud Physics Laboratory concept and the experiment scope. The experimental constraints are given along with details of the proposed equipment. Examples of appropriate experiments range from three-dimensional simulation of the earth and planetary atmosphere and of ocean circulation to cloud electrification processes and the effects of atmospheric pollution materials on microphysical processes.

Eaton, L. R.↗

The foot-controlled maneuvering unit: Summary report on Skylab experiment T-020

Skylab experiment T-020 was conducted to study the maneuvering capabilities of astronauts using a relatively simple experimental self-locomotive device, referred to as the foot-controlled maneuvering unit, and to evaluate the effectiveness of ground-based facilities simulating the operation of this device in weightless conditions of space. The final results as presented of this experiment which includes comparison of the tests performed during missions SL-3 and SL-4 of the Skylab with those performed on the simulators. Some of the results of this experiment and those of Skylab experiment M509, which employed an experimental hard-controlled maneuvering unit, are discussed in terms of the development of a possible future operational maneuvering system.

Hewes, D. E.↗

United States societal experiments via the Communications Technology Satellite

The Communications Technology Satellite (CTS) is a cooperative experimental program of the United States and Canadian governments. The CTS uses a high-power transponder at the frequencies of 14/12 GHz for two-way television and voice communication. The United States and Canada have agreed to share equally in the use of CTS. The U.S. program includes a variety of societal experiments. The ground stations for these experiments are located from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The satellite communications capabilities and the antenna coverage for the U.S. are summarized. Emphasis is placed on the U.S. societal experiments in the areas of education, health care, and community and special services; nine separate experiments are discussed.

Donoughe, P. L.↗

Twenty and thirty GHz millimeter wave experiments with the ATS-6 satellite

Studies at 11 locations in the continental United States were directed at an evaluation of rain attenuation effects, scintillations, depolarization, site diversity, coherence bandwidth, and analog and digital communications techniques using the Applications Technology Satellite-6(ATS-6). In addition to direct measurements on the 20- and 30-GHz links, methods of attenuation prediction with radars, rain gages, and radiometers were developed and compared with the directly measured attenuation. Initial data results of the ATS-6 millimeter wave experiment were presented. The first section describes the experiment objectives, flight hardware, and modes of operation. The remaining six sections present papers prepared by the major participating organizations in the experiment. The papers present a comprehensive summary of the significant results of the initial 11 months of ATS-6 experiment measurements and related radiometric, radar, and radio-meteorology studies.

Ippolito, L. J.↗

Electrophoresis experiment for space

The Apollo 16 electrophoresis experiment was analyzed, demonstrating that the separation of the two different-size monodisperse latexes did indeed take place, but that the separation was obscured by the pronounced electroosmotic flow of the liquid medium. The results of this experiment, however, were dramatic since it is impossible to carry out a similar separation on earth. It can be stated unequivocally from this experiment that any electrophoretic separation will be enhanced under microgravity conditions. The only question is the degree of this enhancement, which can be expected to vary from one experimental technique to another. The low-electroosmotic-mobility coating (Z6040-MC) developed under this program was found to be suitable for a free-fluid electrophoretic separation such as the experiment designed for the ASTP flight. The problem with this coating, however, is that its permanency is limited because of the slow desorption of the methylcellulose from the coated surface.

Vanderhoff, J. W.↗

Viking X-band telemetry experiment

In order to uncover operational and design problems in the use of X-band by the 1977 Mariner Jupiter-Saturn mission and future spacecraft using the Deep Space Network, the Viking X-band telemetry experiment was conducted. The experiment was conducted during the months of December 1975 and January 1976. During each of the five successful passes, a periodic sequence (in lieu of ranging) was transmitted to the spacecraft and returned by the spacecraft transponder on both S- and X-bands. These telemetry-like signals were received, demodulated, and detected. From a variety of measurements at the station, four independent measurements were made of the received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). These four SNRs were later compared with each other and the predicted SNR. The principal result of the experiment is that X-band telemetry works as expected. That is, the measured SNRs were consistent relative to each other and to the predicted values within the accuracy of the experiment.

Weber, W. J., III↗

Experiment MA-028 crystal growth

A crystal growth experiment is reported on orbital space flights. The experiment was performed during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. The Crystal Growth Experiment assessed a novel process for growing single crystals of insoluble substances by allowing two or more reactant solutions to diffuse toward each other through a region of pure solvent in zero gravity. The experiment was entirely successful and yielded crystals of about the expected size, quality, and number.

Lind, D. M.↗

Studies of earth simulation experiments

The low gravity environment of earth orbit offers the potential for performing experiments involving baroclinic Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (GFD) on spherical surfaces. These experiments in turn have the potential for providing deeper understanding of large scale planetary and solar circulations. However, to perform these experiments, one requires an experimental technique whereby a radially directed body force can be generated to simulate a radial gravitational force field. One viable technique is the use of dielectric fluids with temperature dependent dielectric permittivity in a radially directed electric field. Application of the Boussinesq approximation to the equations of motion for this system and restrictions on the size of certain electrodynamic terms in the energy equations yields a set of equations which are analogous to the equations of motions of geophysical systems like the earth's atmosphere on term by term basis. The theoretical design of GFD experiments for performance in earth orbit are described along with results of preliminary tests of a prototype.

Hart, J. E.↗

The University of Iowa Helios solar wind plasma wave experiment /E 5a/

This document describes the University of Iowa solar wind plasma wave experiment for the Helios missions (Experiment 5a). The objective of this experiment is the investigation of naturally occurring plasma instabilities and electromagnetic waves in the solar wind. To carry out this investigation, the experiment consists primarily of a 16-channel spectrum analyzer connected to the electric field antennas. The spectrum analyzer covers the frequency range from 20 Hz to 200 kHz and has an amplitude dynamic range which extends from .3 microvolts/m to 30 mV/m per channel. This spectrum analyzer, the antenna potential measurements, the shock alarm system and the supporting electronics are discussed in detail.

Gurnett, D. A.↗

ATS-6 - Experiment summary

A general overview is given of experiment planning and implementation for the ATS-6. Included in the review are discussions of project office activities, experiment selection, spacecraft implementation, ground terminal implementation, the operations control center, and the information processing division. A table is included summarizing the various experiments among which are communications, scientific and technological experiments.

Corrigan, J. P.↗

SEASAT - A candidate ocean industry economic verification experiments

The economic benefits of an operational SEASAT system are discussed in the areas of marine transportation, offshore oil and natural gas exploration and development, ocean fishing, and Arctic operations. A description of the candidate economic verification experiments which could be performed with SEASAT-A is given. With the exception of the area of Arctic operations, experiments have been identified in each of the areas of ocean based activity that are expected to show an economic impact from the use of operational SEASAT data. Experiments have been identified in the areas of the offshore oil and natural gas industry, as well as ice monitoring and coastal zone applications. Emphasis has been placed on the identification and the development of those experiments which meet criteria for: (1) end user participation; (2) SEASAT-A data utility; (3) measurability of operational parameters to demonstrate economic effect; and (4) non-proprietary nature of results.

Miller, B. P.↗

NASA/ESA CT-990 Spacelab simulation. Appendix A: The experiment operator

A joint NASA/ESA endeavor was established to conduct an extensive spacelab simulation using the NASA CV-990 airborne laboratory. The scientific payload was selected to perform studies in upper atmospheric physics and infrared astronomy with principal investigators from France, the Netherlands, England, and several groups from the United States. Two experiment operators from Europe and two from the U.S. were selected to live aboard the aircraft along with a mission manager for a six-day period and operate the experiments in behalf of the principal scientists. This appendix discusses the experiment operators and their relationship to the joint mission under the following general headings: selection criteria, training programs, and performance. The performance of the proxy operators was assessed in terms of adequacy of training, amount of scientific data obtained, quality of data obtained, and reactions to problems that arose in experiment operation.

Reller, J. O., Jr.↗

Experiment support system

The Experiment Support System is a switchboard system with displays and controls. It routes electrical power to experiments M092, M093, and M171 equipment; gaseous nitrogen to the Blood Pressure Measurement System; receives biomedical data from all related equipment; routes the conditioned data signals to the Airlock Module Telemetry System and also displays (in digital or analog from) portions of that data which the crewmen must see to complete the experiment successfully. The Experiment Support System is interfaced to the M131 control panel to transfer conditioned data to the Airlock Module Telemetry System.

Shannon, A. V.↗

Biomedical Experiments Scientific Satellite /BESS/

The Biomedical Experiments Scientific Satellite (BESS) program is proposed to provide a long-duration, earth-orbiting facility to expose selected specimens in a series of biomedical experiments through the 1980's. Launched and retrieved by the Space Transportation System, the fully reusable, free-flying BESS will contain all systems necessary to conduct a six-month to one-year spaceflight mission. The spacecraft system will consist of a large pressurized experiment module and a standard NASA service module currently conceived as the Goddard Multi-Mission Spacecraft (MMS). The experiment module will contain the life-support systems, waste management system, specimen-holding facilities, and monitoring, evaluating, and data-handling equipment. Although a variety of specimens will be flown in basic biological and medical studies, the primate was taken as the principal design driver since it has a maximal life-support demand.

Berry, W. E.↗

Ion beam plume and efflux characterization flight experiment study

A flight experiment and flight experiment package for a shuttle-borne flight test of an 8-cm mercury ion thruster was designed to obtain charged particle and neutral particle material transport data that cannot be obtained in conventional ground based laboratory testing facilities. By the use of both ground and space testing of ion thrusters, the flight worthiness of these ion thrusters, for other spacecraft applications, may be demonstrated. The flight experiment definition for the ion thruster initially defined a broadly ranging series of flight experiments and flight test sensors. From this larger test series and sensor list, an initial flight test configuration was selected with measurements in charged particle material transport, condensible neutral material transport, thruster internal erosion, ion beam neutralization, and ion thrust beam/space plasma electrical equilibration. These measurement areas may all be examined for a seven day shuttle sortie mission and for available test time in the 50 - 100 hour period.

Sellen, J. M., Jr.↗