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At least 127 records · Page 7

Physics of Colloids in Space: Flight Hardware Operations on ISS

The Physics of Colloids in Space (PCS) experiment was launched on Space Shuttle STS-100 in April 2001 and integrated into EXpedite the PRocess of Experiments to Space Station Rack 2 on the International Space Station (ISS). This microgravity fluid physics investigation is being conducted in the ISS U.S. Lab 'Destiny' Module over a period of approximately thirteen months during the ISS assembly period from flight 6A through flight 9A. PCS is gathering data on the basic physical properties of simple colloidal suspensions by studying the structures that form. A colloid is a micron or submicron particle, be it solid, liquid, or gas. A colloidal suspension consists of these fine particles suspended in another medium. Common colloidal suspensions include paints, milk, salad dressings, cosmetics, and aerosols. Though these products are routinely produced and used, we still have much to learn about their behavior as well as the underlying properties of colloids in general. The long-term goal of the PCS investigation is to learn how to steer the growth of colloidal structures to create new materials. This experiment is the first part of a two-stage investigation conceived by Professor David Weitz of Harvard University (the Principal Investigator) along with Professor Peter Pusey of the University of Edinburgh (the Co-Investigator). This paper describes the flight hardware, experiment operations, and initial science findings of the first fluid physics payload to be conducted on ISS: The Physics of Colloids in Space.

Doherty, Michael P.↗

The astronaut science advisor: Ground testing during SLS-1

The objective of the Astronaut Science Advisor (ASA) is the improvement of the scientific return of experiments performed in space. This is accomplished through the use of expert systems technology to encode the domain and experiment knowledge commanded by the principal investigator (PI) and make it available to the astronaut experimenters. The principal functions of the ASA include the following: capture, reduce, and archive experimental data; monitor data quality and help diagnose problems with equipment when experimental data is erratic or poor; identify and permit investigation of interesting data; and suggest protocol changes that would result in better utilization of remaining time.

Compton, Michael M.↗

Coordination of International Risk-Reduction Investigations by the Multilateral Human Research Panel for Exploration

Effective use of the unique capabilities of the International Space Station (ISS) for risk reduction on future deep space missions involves preliminary work in analog environments to identify and evaluate the most promising techniques, interventions and treatments. This entails a consolidated multinational approach to biomedical research both on ISS and in ground analogs. The Multilateral Human Research Panel for Exploration (MHRPE) was chartered by the five ISS partners to recommend the best combination of partner investigations on ISS for risk reduction in the relatively short time available for ISS utilization. MHRPE will also make recommendations to funding agencies for appropriate preparatory analog work. In 2011, NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) and the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) of the Russian Academy of Science, acting for MHRPE, developed a joint US-Russian biomedical program for the 2015 one-year ISS mission (1YM) of American and Russian crewmembers. This was to evaluate the possibilities for multilateral research on ISS. An overlapping list of 16 HRP, 9 IBMP, 3 Japanese, 3 European and 1 Canadian investigations were selected to address risk-reduction goals in 7 categories: Functional Performance, Behavioral Health, Visual Impairment, Metabolism, Physical Capacity, Microbial and Human Factors. MHRPE intends to build on this bilateral foundation to recommend more fully-integrated multilateral investigations on future ISS missions commencing after the 1YM. MHRPE has also endorsed an on-going program of coordinated research on 6-month, one-year and 6-week missions ISS expeditions that is now under consideration by ISS managers. Preparatory work for these missions will require coordinated and collaborative campaigns especially in the psychological and psychosocial areas using analog isolation facilities in Houston, Köln and Moscow, and possibly elsewhere. The multilateral Human Analogs research working group (HANA) is the focal point of those planning discussions, with MHRPE coordinating between the national programs and then supporting implementation on ISS. Experience gained during preparations for the 1YM has identified improvements in both American and Russian processes to enable well-integrated investigations on all subsequent ISS expeditions. Among those is that the greatest efficiency is to be gained with investigations that are fully integrated from their conception, with co-principal investigators, a consolidated proposal and integrated plans for crewmember time and other flight-related resources. Analog investigations preceding future ISS expeditions will employ these lessons in efficiency to evaluate the techniques and tools to be validated aboard ISS. In this way, the resources and capabilities of ISS can be applied most efficiently to solving the problems facing astronauts of all nations in missions deep into the solar system.

Charles, John B.↗

Detecting the Sun in 2-Gyr Old Open Clusters

The aim of this observation was to take advantage of the large collecting area and sensitivity of the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton telescope to survey the X ray brightness of solar-mass stars in the 2 Gyr old NGC 752 cluster in order to chart out the dependence of coronal X ray emission of Sun like stars as a function of age. Dr. Simon's stated role as one of the co-investigators in the project was limited to assisting the project's European Principal Investigator with the analysis and interpretation of the X ray measurements, and to assist in summarizing the results for publication. The observation was executed successfully, and approximately 130 X ray sources were detected in the XMM field of view and subsequently measured to obtain X ray count rates. To date neither the measurements nor the raw data have been distributed by the European P.I. to the co-investigators, It is expected that the measurements will be distributed to the co-investigators by the end of 2004, and once that is done, the scientific analysis by Dr. Simon can then begin. At present, since the data and measurements have not been shared with the co-investigators, there are no results to report.

Simon, Theodore↗

The International Microgravity Laboratory, a Spacelab for materials and life sciences

The material science experiments performed on the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-1), which is used to perform investigations which require the low gravity environment of space, are discussed. These experiments, the principal investigator, and associated organization are listed. Whether the experiment was a new development or was carried on an earlier space mission, such as the third Spacelab (SL-3) or the Shuttle Middeck, is also noted. The two major disciplines of materials science represented on IML-1 were the growth of crystals from the melt, solution, or vapor and the study of fluids (liquids and gases) in a reduced gravity environment. The various facilities on board IML-1 and their related experiments are described. The facilities include the Fluids Experiment System (FES) Vapor Crystal Growth System (VCGS) Organic Crystal Growth Facility (OCGF), Cryostat (CRY), and the Critical Point Facility (CPF).

Snyder, Robert S.↗

Design and development of experimental facilities for short duration, low-gravity combustion and fire experiments

This report contains the results of three projects conducted by undergraduate students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute at the NASA's Lewis Research Center under a NASA Award NCC3-312. The students involved in these projects spent part of the summer of 1993 at the Lewis Research Center (LeRC) under the direction of Dr. Howard Ross, head of the Combustion group and other NASA engineers and scientists. The Principal Investigator at Worcester Polytechnic Institute was Professor Vahid Motevalli. Professor Motevalli served as the principal project advisor for two of the three projects which were in Mechanical Engineering. The third project was advised by Professor Duckworth of Electrical and Computer Engineering, while Professor Motevalli acted as the co-advisor. These projects provided an excellent opportunity for the students to participate in the cutting edge research and engineering design, interact with NASA engineers and gain valuable exposure to a real working environment. Furthermore, the combustion group at LeRC was able to forward their goals by employing students to work on topics of immediate use and interest such as experimental research projects planned for the space shuttle, the future space station, or to develop demonstration tools to educate the public about LeRC activities.

Motevalli, Vahid↗

AIRSAR deployment in Australia, September 1993: Management and objectives

Past co-operation between the NASA Earth Science and Applications Division and the CSIRO and Australian university researchers has led to a number of mutually beneficial activities. These include the deployment of the C-130 aircraft with TIMS, AIS, and NS001 sensors in Australia in 1985; collaboration between scientists from the USA and Australia in soils research which has extended for the past decade; and in the development of imaging spectroscopy where DSIRO and NASA have worked closely together and regularly exchanged visiting scientists. In May this year TIMS was flown in eastern Australia on board a CSIRO-owned aircraft together with a CSIRO-designed CO2 laser spectrometer. The Science Investigation Team for the Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIRC-C) Program includes one Australian Principal Investigator and ten Australian co-investigators who will work on nine projects related to studying land and near-shore surfaces after the Shuttle flight scheduled for April 1994. This long-term continued joint collaboration was progressed further with the deployment of AIRSAR downunder in September 1993. During a five week period, the DC-8 aircraft flew in all Australian states and collected data from some 65 individual test sites.

Milne, A. K.↗

Design and development of experimental facilities for short duration, low-gravity combustion and fire experiments

This report contains the results of three projects conducted by undergraduate students from Worcester Polytechnical Institute at the NASA's Lewis Research Center under a NASA Award NCC3-312. The students involved in these projects spent part of the summer of 1993 at the Lewis Research Center (LeRC). The Principal Investigator at Worcester Polytechnic Institute was Professor Vahid Motevalli. Professor Motevalli served as the principal project advisor for two of the three projects which were in Mechanical Engineering. The third project was advised by Professor Duckworth of Electrical and Computer Engineering, while Professor Motevalli acted as the co-advisor. These projects provided an excellent opportunity for the students to participate in the cutting edge research and engineering design, interact with NASA engineers and gain valuable exposure to a real working environment. This report has been divided to three sections, representing the outcome of each of the separate projects. The three reports which have been written by the students under the supervision of their advisors have been compiled into a combined report by Dr. Motevalli. Each project report is presented here as a section which is essentially self-contained. Each section contains chapters introducing the problem, solution approach, description of the experiments, results and analysis, conclusions and appendixes as appropriate.

Source record↗

Basic research in solar physics

This grant, dating back more than 20 years has supported a variety of investigations of the chromospheres and coronae of the Sun and related cool stars by the Principal Investigator, his postdocs and graduate students, and colleagues at other institutions. This work involved studies of radiative transfer and spectral line formation theory, and the application of these techniques to the analysis of spectra obtained from space and ground-based observatories in the optical, ultraviolet, x-ray and radio portions of the spectrum. Space observations have included the analysis of spectra from OSO-7, Skylab, SMM, and the HRTS rocket experiments. Recent work has concentrated on the interaction of magnetic fields, plasma and radiation in the outer atmospheres of the Sun and other magnetically active stars with different fundamental parameters. Our study of phenomena common to the Sun and stars, the 'solar-stellar connection', can elucidate the fundamental physics, because spatially-resolved observations of the Sun provide us with the 'groundtruth,' while interpretation of stellar data permit us to isolate those parameters critical to stellar activity. Recently, we have studied the differences in physical properties between solar regions of high magnetic flux density and the surrounding plasma. High-resolution CN and CO spectroheliograms have been used to model the thermal inhomogeneities driven by unstable CO cooling, and we have analyzed spatially resolved UV spectra from HRTS to model the thermal structure and energy balance of small-scale structures. The study of nonlinear relations between atmospheric radiative losses and the photospheric magnetic flux density has been continued. We have also proposed a new model for the decay of plages by random walk diffusion of magnetic flux. Our analysis of phenomena common to the Sun and stars included the application of available spectroscopic diagnostics, establishing evidence that the atmospheres of the least active stars are heated at a 'basal' rate that is also found in the centers of solar supergranules, and using the Doppler-imaging technique to measure the position, size, and brightness of stellar active regions. We are computing multi-component models for solar and stellar atmospheres, and models for coronal loops and for the transition-region down flows. The study of solar and stellar flares permits us to assess the role of turbulent energy transport, to pinpoint the mechanism behind Type I radio bursts, to determine whether plasma radiation or cyclotron maser is responsible for microwave flares on M dwarfs, and to extend our knowledge of the basic physics pertinent to cyclotron-maser processes operating on the Sun.

Linsky, Jeffrey L.↗

Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) Data Analysis

Joseph is an ISO Co-Investigator. His Guaranteed Time Observations include both a major programme for which he is the Principal Investigator, and a number of other prgrammes in collaboration with other ISPHOT Co-Investigators, David Sanders, Alan Stockton, and Esther Hu.

Joseph, Robert D.↗

Experiment Document for 01-E077 Microgravity Investigation of Crew Reactions in 0-G (MICRO-G)

The Experiment Document (ED) serves the following purposes: a) It provides a vehicle for Principal Investigators (PIS) to formally specify the requirements for performing their experiments. b) It provides a technical Statement of Work (SOW). c) It provides experiment investigators and hardware developers with a convenient source of information about Human Life Sciences (HLS) requirements for the development and/or integration of flight experiment projects. d) It is the primary source of experiment specifications for the HLS Research Program Office (RPO). Inputs from this document will be placed into a controlled database that will be used to generate other documents.

Newman, Dava J.↗

The Mars Observer database

Mars Observer will study the surface, atmosphere, and climate of Mars in a systematic way over an entire Martian year. The observations of the surface will provide a database that will be invaluable to the planning of a future Mars sample return mission. Mars Observer is planned for a September 1992 launch from the Space Shuttle, using an upper-stage. After the one year transit the spacecraft is injected into orbit about Mars and the orbit adjusted to a near-circular, sun-synchronous low-altitude, polar orbit. During the Martian year in this mapping orbit the instruments gather both geoscience data and climatological data by repetitive global mapping. The scientific objectives of the mission are to: (1) determine the global elemental and mineralogical character of the surface material; (2) define globally the topography and gravitational field; (3) establish the nature of the magnetic field; (4) determine the time and space distribution, abundance, sources, and sinks of volatile material and dust over a seasonal cycle; and (5) explore the structure and aspects of the circulation of the atmosphere. The science investigations and instruments for Mars Observer have been chosen with these objectives in mind. These instruments, the principal investigator or team leader and the objectives are discussed.

Albee, Arden L.↗

The Cryogenic Grating Spectrometer

The Cryogenic Grating Spectrometer (CGS) first flew on the KAO in 1982 December and has been open to guest investigators since 1984 October. In the past 12 years it has completed over 100 research flights supporting 13 different principal investigators studying a variety of objects. We briefly describe the instrument, its capabilities and accomplishments, and acknowledge the people who have contributed to its development and operation.

Erickson, Edwin F.↗

Study of time-lapse processing for dynamic hydrologic conditions

The usefulness of dynamic display techniques in exploiting the repetitive nature of ERTS imagery was investigated. A specially designed Electronic Satellite Image Analysis Console (ESIAC) was developed and employed to process data for seven ERTS principal investigators studying dynamic hydrological conditions for diverse applications. These applications include measurement of snowfield extent and sediment plumes from estuary discharge, Playa Lake inventory, and monitoring of phreatophyte and other vegetation changes. The ESIAC provides facilities for storing registered image sequences in a magnetic video disc memory for subsequent recall, enhancement, and animated display in monochrome or color. The most unique feature of the system is the capability to time lapse the imagery and analytic displays of the imagery. Data products included quantitative measurements of distances and areas, binary thematic maps based on monospectral or multispectral decisions, radiance profiles, and movie loops. Applications of animation for uses other than creating time-lapse sequences are identified. Input to the ESIAC can be either digital or via photographic transparencies.

Serebreny, S. M.↗

LDEF space optics handbook

There is a need to present design guidelines derived from the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) space optics experiments to hardware designers. In response to this need, a small study program has been started. The objective is to prepare a top level review of available results on the behavior of certain optical components in the LDEF space experiments. The optics interest centers on optical surfaces and coatings, and fabrication processes for laser windows and mirrors. The program has two main parts: the first phase, consists of identifying and acquiring data from appropriate investigators. The second phase, comprises report preparation as well as selected, prioritized, additional characterization of certain samples, coordinated with the principal investigators. This short paper outlines the program under way.

Champetier, Robert J.↗

The Packed Bed Reactor Experiment (PBRE-2 and PBRE-WR)

As communicated at various forums, a multilateral, web-based symposium, featuring ISS Increments 61 and 62 investigations will be held on September 17, 18 and 19, 2019 beginning at 0600 CDT. The purpose of this event is for Principal Investigators to present their science objectives, testing approach, and measurement methods to agency scientists, managers, and other investigators. Participation is encouraged to gather a global picture of the science planned to be performed on ISS during Increments 61 and 62.

Motil, Brian↗

Real-time remote scientific model validation

This paper describes flight results from the use of a CLIPS-based validation facility to compare analyzed data from a space life sciences (SLS) experiment to an investigator's preflight model. The comparison, performed in real-time, either confirms or refutes the model and its predictions. This result then becomes the basis for continuing or modifying the investigator's experiment protocol. Typically, neither the astronaut crew in Spacelab nor the ground-based investigator team are able to react to their experiment data in real time. This facility, part of a larger science advisor system called Principal Investigator in a Box, was flown on the space shuttle in October, 1993. The software system aided the conduct of a human vestibular physiology experiment and was able to outperform humans in the tasks of data integrity assurance, data analysis, and scientific model validation. Of twelve preflight hypotheses associated with investigator's model, seven were confirmed and five were rejected or compromised.

Frainier, Richard↗